Joining Before Vigil's Keep

Fremelda was conflicted about whether or not she should watch this next Joining, simply because Macha was there. The Cousland girl had blackmailed the assassin to joining the Wardens and she still had not forgiven her for that. Still, she ended up going anyway, as one or two of those Joining were people she was acquainted with. Dressed in her usual black frock coat with silver trim, Fremelda stood proudly, her head held high. She knew showing any weakness would demean her reputation, so she made an effort to keep appearances high.

Macha was leading this Joining, like Fremelda's own back in Denerim. She folded her arms over her chest. "Here to kill more recruits, hm?" She whispered to Macha. She turned her head to Nygozy and offered her a bow of the head in respect, but also took note of Kraven being there. To him she just gave a curt nod. King of all knife ears he fancied himself. One thing Fremelda didn't like were nobles, even moreso people who fancied themselves gods.

Still, she crossed her arms over her chest and turn on her heels to watch the group of newcomers. The dwarf Khael was with the mage girl Takara, and she seemed to be stuttering up a storm so Fremelda walked over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "Shh... Don't be afraid of what is to come. Take heart and know that there are people here who will protect you and fight for you. You'll do just fine." she said, trying to comfort her.

Kraven looked down at Bowen's hand and shook his head, "That is how strangers greet each other."

Instead he grasped Bowen's fore arm with his hand, linking their arms together. "This is a proper greeting of friends."

"Any friend of the White Wolf is a friend of mine."

"A pleasure Gunnar. A man of few words I see." Kraven said jokingly to him.

He turned once again to the wolf, "There is much knowledge that has been lost to the ages. Knowledge that all Elvhen need to relearn."

"It would seem that Lobo has chosen you, and with good reason. He may seem like a simple creature, but he sees more than he might let on. That is the reason why we must talk later."

Bowen laughed and grasped Kraven's forearm the same way. ''To be honest, I wasn't sure that if you were going to accept or just burn me to ashes. I am glad you chose the first one. I say the same, any friend of my sister is a friend of mine. Also, just to let you know because of your crusade for the elven's rights, I've always been fond of elves. I am Nevarran, and in Nevarra things are not this... cruel and uncaring with them. I can't stand seeing elves, old people, children, mages, animals or women beaten and I use to react badly to it''

''He married a half elf'' Gunnar said, still looking at the others. ''Also, what my brother said, the same for me. Any friend of Calli is ours. Just don't hurt her, or we will kill you''

''Most likely, we will skin you alive, if Drake doesn't get you first'' Bowen grinned

''Then we could just cheer him on''

Calliara rolled her eyes, but her smile showed her deep love for her two friends. ''Don't listen to them, hahren. We've been together for so long, and they think they are funny''

As everyone settled Nygozy waited and she nodded back at Kraven when he announced himself. Her hair was over her eyes a bit in an attempt that no one could see how incredibly tired she was as she'd not slept well for a long while and the night before had sat up all night watching over Kraven even though Kai was there helping.

She took a look towards Calliara, Bowen, Gunnar and Kraven and waited for them to stop speaking. It was the wrong time to be continuing any discussion as Macha had called their attention and started the ceremony. She made sure to catch the eyes of each of them before turning back to the ceremony.

"The initiates who have come today to become Grey Wardens from this day forth are Ostef Ziker, Varen Kire, Rakot Hemlin, Khael Khorief, and Takara Hako. I wish you all luck and perseverance. You may begin, Macha."

Nygozy took a step back and watched as Jezarine stood beside the rock she had been sitting on then her eyes returned to the initiates.

Macha frowned as she glanced aside at Fremelda, intent on keeping a professional air while the ceremony was about to begin, yet itching to retort. Here to kill more recruits, indeed, as if it were her choice. Fremelda hadn't exactly been her spirit-sister before the Joining, but since then she'd been almost unusually cold, and it was beginning to get on Macha's nerves. She could understand the ire, and she had accepted it, and had apologized, but her pride was beginning to chafe under the negative attention. Not he pride as a noblewoman or a Warden, but as a human being - Fremelda's own refusal to give an inch was clashing with her own typically stubborn demeanor, and, frankly, Macha wanted to beat her apology into Fremelda's head so that they could just put it between them and be over with it. Fremelda was a Warden now - they had to have each others' backs, not be at each others' throats.

Instead, she turned herself towards her duty, and nodded her head solemnly before beginning. Turning to take the cup in both of her hands, she turned back to face the gathering and watched them silently for a moment before beginning.

"My brothers," she started, as she always did. "The words we speak are but few, and are steeped in old tradition. I will do nothing to change them now. I wish only to say that I grant you, all of you, all the luck in my heart." The time for praying to their gods was now - their fates would be written the moment they sipped from the goblet. With a silent clearing of her throat, she held the stone cup up, and closed her eyes in introspection as she began to say the words that had been long etched into her mind. "Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that can not be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten, and that, one day, we shall join you."

Her eyes opened once more, and she lowered the cup in her hands before speaking again. "You will step up and drink in the order Nygozy has called. Ostef Ziker, please come forward."

Ostef turned one last time to shake Rakot's hand. He then faced the goblet, determination expressed on his face, he silently stepped forward. He took the cup from Macha's hands and took a sip, handing it back to her before taking a step backwards. The pain tore at his insides, as his eyes rolled up in their sockets. The young warrior fell to one knee, breathing heavily from the pain, doing his best not to scream. Finally after several minutes of attempting to keep his mind from dimming he finally collapsed, laying plastered on the ground. For a few seconds he did not breath, but then his nostrils expanded and he inhaled. He was alive, but unconscious.

Rakot watched all that occurred with a face of stone, Ostef was fulfilling the word that was given, it was not the berserker's place to interfere with his comrade's decision.

[ Oh thank the Maker he lived [/cry] I thought you were going to kill him [/has random fangirl-ness for Ostef] ]

Macha heaved a small sigh of relief as Ostef's chest expanded with breath after going so suddenly still. That was one, their first, alive and now a Warden.

"Welcome to the Grey Wardens, my brother Ostef Ziker," she said with a solemn nod, and then glanced at where Bowen and Gunnar were standing with Calliara, silently asking them to take the unconscious body and place it to the side where he could rest and then wake.

As they did that, her eyes returned to the assembled recruits. " Varen Kire, by the Commander's word, you are next."

[OOC: LOL I am glad as well that he survived. I like Rakot and Ostef a great deal]


Calliara sighed with relief. Ostef was alive. Maybe once she had tried to kill him, but now, she didn't wanted his death.

Bowen and Gunnar silently lifted his unconscious body to take him to the side to rest on the cots that Calliara had previously prepared

Nygozy watched as Ostef took his drink and survived. She let out a deep breath then nodded to Jezarine as the men brought the man to the resting area so that the healer could do her job and check his vitals. The dwarf continued to watch until Jezarine gave her an all's clear signal then turned back to the next joining.

Shade walked up beside Kraven and watched the warden recruits if not for a twist of fate he would have been amongst them instead of becoming Kravens Apprentice. He looked over at Varen realizing that another Elf Mage would have to take the Wardens journey that was suppose to be his and smiled to her and wished her luck. He looked over as Ostef took the cup and watched the man respecting how he didn't scream from something that must be destroying him from the inside and was relived to see him alive.

He looked over spotting Nygozy and nodded wishing for once he had taken the joining simply to be under the Commanders command. He had gained great respect for the Dwarf woman and just by looking at her he could feel her tiredness and looked at Kraven wondering if just being this Elf's apprentice opened him up more to the world. He spotted the other candidates and wished he had the power to numb the pain they would experience especially the elf girl who was stuttering and obviously afraid but sadly he was not that great yet. Kraven may be but it was his power and he chose not to wield it for this.

Wolfram was not surprised that Ostef survived. He figured Ostef would need a lot more luck that Rakot would. As much as it hates him to admit, if one of them were to live, he'd want Ostef to be the one. It would allow him to finally develop him into what he was meant to be instead of Rakot's twin.

He noticed that Kraven's apprentice had shown up. That...he shouldn't be here. Even though he was bound by Kraven to not become a Warden, very few now-Wardens should see this. Jezarine was an exception due to her connection with those in Weisshaupt and Kraven already had prior knowledge into it, but Shade didn't have either of those.

He walked over to Kraven and whispered to him. "I know it's not my place to tell your apprentice what to do, but this is one of those things he shouldn't see. I don't know just how much I can trust your apprentice to stay quiet about this."

Kraven nodded to Wolfram.

Without turning from the ritual, he projected his thoughts to Shade,

I am sorry apprentice, this is not meant for your eyes. Go and be with your love. Think of happier things.

Varen nodded at the woman's words, and then cast one last glance around at everyone. She took a deep breath and stepped forwards, taking the goblet with one hand. The mage took a sip and handed the cup back to Macha. Varen could feel the poison going down her throat and through her whole body. She grasped her stomach and stumbled. Catching herself for a moment only to fall, her eyes shut tight against the pain. There was silence.

Varen took a breath, groaning a little at the soreness throughout her. She curled up slightly, trying to contain the pain. She had survived.

Macha watched, focusing on keeping her breath steady as the girl stumbled and fell to the ground, her body twitching in pain. When it got like this, the body could so easily go from life to death in a moment . . .

But then the girl heaved air into her lungs and shuddered, and Macha felt one more small weight lift from her shoulders. "Welcome to the Grey Wardens, sister Varen Kire," she said with a nod, and as with Ostef, she motioned for the elf to be carried to the side to rest. With that duty done, she faced forward once more.

"Rakot Hemlin, as decided by the Commander, you will step forward." Her voice was kept as formal and as calm as it had with the others, but Macha felt a strange stirring in stomach as she said the name. Rakot Hemlin, the man who'd done such damage to one of their own, and yet, had turned it around to do good, though, if she'd heard correctly, was no small amount of trouble besides. She didn't know how she felt about this man, but life would give him the opportunity to right his wrongs, or, at least, give him time to prove himself a villain, so that he could be dealt with accordingly. Either way, she did not wish him a death in this Joining.

"Fine."

Rakot stepped forward and took the cup. Exhaling all the air from his lungs he emptied the entire contents of the goblet into his mouth, the darkspawn blood poured swiftly down his throat. His eyes rolled back in the sockets, turning white, but aside from that he didn't seem to have been suffering from any kind of damage. He stood still for a few minutes, then raised an eyebrow and spoke.

"Thats good stuff...one mug and I'm already hallucinating....that sure is a lot of darkspawn....lots of squishy, crunchy, darkspawn....stab, stab, stab.....kill, kill, kill...."

He handed the empty goblet to Macha and stumbled off to the side, continuing to mutter under his breath.

Macha blinked owlishly as the man muttered something under his breath and walked off, apparently fine aside from the hallucinations he seemed to be seeing. After a moment of starting off after him, she looked down at the goblet, and frowned at the now-empty cup. Well, that wasn't good.

She turned back to Nygozy and showed her the contents - or rather, lack of content - of the cup, and asked in a low voice, "do we have more of the stuff left?" They still had a few other recruits to go through, and it would be an embarrassment indeed if they didn't have enough archdemon blood to go around. In all of Macha's time as a Warden, no one had ever taken all of the blood-mixture before . . .

Rakot...just finished the whole cup. That man...is a monster. He took out a vial he had acquisitioned for research, arch demon blood. He didn't know if it would be enough. He walked over to Macha and shown her the vial. "Who prepares the stuff around here? If you are in need of some of the 'special' stuff, I have some here that can be used, provided the other ingredients are on hand."

So far everything was going well and no one had died. Two down and then Rakot and that made Jezarine nervous as she got ready to check him out but then he did something which made her jaw drop. He slugged back the rest of the drink and stumbled to the side. He couldn't have drunk the whole thing. Could he?

Jezarine rushed over to Rakot and started to look at him with her magic when Macha called out to her and Wolfram asked who made the mix, "Oh yes! I do Wolfram but I always make a bit extra just in case the goblet falls. It's at the side of the table in a jar."

She touched Rakot's arm and jumped back shaking her hand, "You're boiling hot, Rakot. Come sit down and I'll get a cool cloth to put on your forehead. You're cooling down already but I want to make sure you don't overexpose yourself in the sun. Come on here in the shade."

The healer tried to direct him while hoping he wasn't hallucinating about her or he could attack. Please oh please don't hallucinate that anyone is something other than what they are.

Calliara appeared next to Jezarine and took gently Rakot's another arm

''Alright, cow-lover, you had to give the spectacle, hadn't you?'' The Wolf chuckled, guiding him to one of the cots next to Ostef ''Lay down and rest until your head comes back. I am glad both Ostef and you had survived. I am glad everyone survived''

Macha nodded at Jez, casting the elf a vaguely concerned look as she tended to Rakot. Her Templar boyfriend or whatever wasn't here with her today, it seemed. Macha didn't know the man well enough to know why, but she was glad that Jez seemed to be doing fine on her own, regardless. With her worry for the elven healer assuaged, she turned with the cup to the small table that Jaz had prepared earlier, and refilled the goblet a bit (making sure to leave some of the extra liquid left, in case anyone else got the bright idea to drink it all again).

She turned back to the two remaining recruits. "Forgive us for the delay, Khael and Takara," she said with a kind but slightly amused smile, and then the seriousness of the ceremony joined with her again, and she briefly closed her eyes in solemnity. "We shall continue." Holding the cup a little higher in her hands in offering, she inclined her head towards Khael. "By the Commander's order, Khael Khorief, you are next."

As his name was finally called Khael reached over and gave Takara's hand a quick squeeze and then slowly walked up to the human woman with the cup. He took the cup with a nod to the woman and then took a large sip.

He almost gagged as he swallowed. That was one of the nastiest things he'd ever drank. He barely finished the thought before the pain began. He growled as he fought the pain coursing through his body. It felt as if all his veins were on fire. He clutched his stomach and convulsed once before falling to the ground pale and unconcious, but alive.

"....Just need a minute or two...."

Rakot sat down on top of the cot.

"...sodding spins...."

He then laid down all the way.

"...nug shit...I don't envy the one who has to wake me up....I sense a massive hang over on the horizon."

The berserker finally closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Bowen appeared to pick Khael up gently, and carried him away to one of the free cots

''Well done, kid...'' Both the Nevarran and Gunnar sighed with relief, making sure that the new Wardens were comfortable.

Calliara wrapped Rakot in a blanket and then went to see Takara's Joining. She was still worried, but the Wolf managed to smile reassuringly to the young Mage.

Macha felt most of her remaining worry slip away as Khael fell, heaving a shuddering breath but alive. One more to survive - she began to feel a surge of hope, that this might be her first Joining where everyone lived . . . Nygozy had picked a sturdy bunch, it seemed. They'd all make fine Wardens.

As Khael was taken care of, Macha turned back to Takara, and nodded to the shuddering mage with a gently reassuring smile. "Takara Hako," she said, "it is your turn. Please step forward." The poor girl seemed like she needed the encouragemenet, and Macha tried her best to seem inviting while also keeping her composed demeanor.