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[ she's on her way into the seventh heaven, looking for tifa for a few reasons. mostly for something to eat for the day, but also to let her know there's someone new in town whom neve will be bringing by at some point. someone tifa can trust, despite lucanis's occupation.

but it's only once she's approached the bar that she notices the cloud creeping up behind her and she places one hand on her hip, glancing at tifa with a long-suffering look. they both know what this is by now, she's sure. ]

Got somewhere less open to deal with this?

[ she jerks her head at the cloud. it's one thing for a friend to see her memories unbidden, but given the cloud of smoke and ash rising from it and the cityscape beginning to form, she does not want the whole of the bar to see it. she'll take a cramped room at this point, somewhere just the two of them can see this and talk it out. ]

[Neve's presence is a happy surprise, and before she can spot the cloud, she looks up from the counter with a welcoming smile, all too glad to see another familiar face coming by.

That is, until her eyes land on the pursuing cloud as it drifts behind her, and a ghost not far behind that. Her smile falls away, her expression drooping, and she shoots the ghost a stern look.]

Of all the places, you gotta follow her here?

[This is definitely not her first time with the cloud, and she has a feeling it won't be her last, but she beckons to Neve anyway, lifting the counter door so that she can pass through.]

Yeah, I do.

[And it won't leave her alone, they both know that, until it makes her see what it wants to show... whatever that is. She isn't sure how she feels about being the one to glimpse at it, so she keeps her eyes away from whatever image might ripple its way into view and beckons Neve towards a door that leads down below deck and straight into the empty kitchen.]

How long has it been following you?

[ ooc note: since rook is a malleable protagonist, same general personality but choices + background + fighting style + looks are different, i'll use they/them and vague descriptions of anything else, so if we ever do/can get a rook, i haven't written them or myself into a corner we don't want. ]

[ neve had figured tifa would have some sort of private room on this ship and she finds herself grateful for it as she follows her friend past the counter door and down towards the kitchen. there are precious few people she would be happy with seeing a memory of her own, knowing how personal most of them are. at least the ones that would be interesting enough to show. also how dangerous and traumatizing they can be.

the fact that this one already shows her city burning tells her this is one she wants no one else to see. tifa, though... maybe that's all right. she can handle tifa knowing or the questions that likely will come after. ]

Just now. Wouldn't have brought it over if I'd known.

[ which isn't to say that she minds tifa seeing this or the other woman's friendship or really any part of it; just that she knows a lot of these tend to go both ways and she'd rather not force tifa to share something she doesn't want to.

and then the memory begins, a mutated dragon flies through the streets, spewing fire across the stones, burning everyone in its path. it looks... sick at best. monstrous. as though its body was never meant to house the disease that now warps it. screams fill the air and it's a good thing they can't smell what neve remembers. part of her keeps watching, but her seemingly emotionless face gives away how much this memory still hurts. something in her broke that day.

then rook arrives and the emotion in neve's memory can be heard in her voice. they speak, the viper sick with blight on the crate. then there's a shift, a gap in time, maybe a week, maybe more. neve's return to the shadows' hideout with rook and a bone-chilling surprise. the chase through the streets to find the remaining shadows, only to find their bodies.

more dead. people who never deserved it. anyone who was ever connected to the shadow dragons. the ones trying to do good in a corrupted city.

when the memory ends, neve is staring at the ground to the side, her breathing shallow. like it just happened. like it's a memory that still haunts her. ]

Of course it would be that one. Glad it was you and not someone else.

[It feels wrong to watch it. Worse that she has offered Neve a safe haven from prying eyes and then went on to pry herself... but there was something about it that struck far closer to home than she's sure either of them was hoping or expecting it to. The fires burning in the city, mainly, seeing all that destruction and knowing what that fear feels like.

She can't say she understands the dragon burning it all down, but it still breaks her heart all the same.

Tifa waits until it's over, silent until the end, and even then, the cloud still floats there, the wisp staring at them from behind the counter now, watching and waiting like it is searching for another memory to show.]

They all seem to have a habit of picking the worst ones, huh...

[She's sitting on a stool now at the island countertop, her hands folded on her lap, and she flashes Neve a sheepish, apologetic smile.]

... What happened?

[Besides the obvious.]

Yeah.

[ the answer to tifa's first comment is short and though soft, full of emotion for her. neve is the kind of person who holds her thoughts close to her chest, who will speak her mind when she needs to, but keeps her emotions tightly in check. but for something like this?

that emotion spills out in the tight way she answers, the absolute control she has over her voice, and the way that pain leaks into her tone anyway. it's not loud, it's not strong, but it's there for those who know her well and those who simply listen.

the sigh she releases after tifa's question also belies how much this memory hurts. ]

The short answer: a dragon attacked my city, spreading blight and killing people. Caused enough chaos that the Venatori cult seized power and full control of the entire Tevinter Empire, which means our big world-ending adversary? Now has all that power at their disposal.

The long story... [ another sigh as neve finally lifts her gaze to look at tifa, that tinge of pain in the back of her eyes. ] How much has Davrin or Lace told you about the Blight? I've barely mentioned the Venatori or Tevinter to anyone here. Never had a reason to. But if you want the explanation for all of that... then you need to know about those pieces, too. Everything's connected. And it's a long story.

No one's told me anything.

[She just hadn't asked, though she never thought it was much her business unless the situation called for it. Which is fine, but Tifa tilts her head.]

But I've got time. Bar isn't busy anyway, and I could make us something to drink? A coffee, or something stronger, if you'd like.

[Which is her way of saying that yes, she would be willing to listen if Neve is willing to tell it.]

[ there are some things that come up in casual conversation with the people from thedas. it's a little different for neve, with the added bonus of the hell that is her nation. but this is basic thedas knowledge. it's just a matter of where to start. ]

I'll never turn down coffee.

[ it'll help make this talk go easier. ]

So the bare bones explanation. And if you want more details, just ask. Or find Davrin. He can tell you a lot more about the details of the Blight than I know. [ she's happy to answer questions as they go. neve is trying not to overwhelm tifa with information. it's a lot. ] First: the magic of Thedas is held in a place called the Fade, land of dreams. The Fade is separated from the rest of the world by something called the Veil. Cross the Veil, you're in the Fade. But it's like crossing through a mirror or a curtain and it's not easy to do. Mages have a stronger connection to the Fade, which is why we can use magic and others can't. If you have no connection to the Fade, you don't dream and can't use magic.

[ like the dwarves, but that is lace's story, not neve's. ]

Our history — or the history as told by the faithful of the Chantry, take your pick — states that a long time ago, ancient Tevinter magisters, strong mages with political power in the Empire, crossed the Veil to find the seat of the Maker. They were cast out as the first darkspawn, triggering the First Blight. We've had five in recorded history, six if you count the one currently happening. Each Blight is ended when the archdemon associated is slain. What each Blight entails...

[ both hands ball into fists and migrate to her hips and she sighs. ]

Darkspawn are mindless monsters and they spread blight to everything living. Everything. Creatures lose their minds and transform into darkspawn over time. Blighted earth loses its ability to grow anything except more blight. Places touched by too much blight become wastelands.

[ part one: the blight. which adds a little context to part of the memory, that the viper took a blighted claw to the gut and is now, presumably, infected with the blight. the rest, about the venatori and tevinter, comes after whatever questions tifa has. ]

[She starts the coffee while Neve explains, but at the mention of that place called The Fade, there is a noticeable pause in her actions, a glance at Neve through the corner of her eye, curious. There is a lot there, but there was one thing that her ears had latched onto from the beginning and she has to ask.]

Can people just... go back and forth between those two worlds?

[Setting the water to boil, she starts working on the coffee itself, breaking down the beans with a hand grinder from the cupboard.]

It reminds me of this place we call the Lifestream back home. Where our magic comes from, and is... basically the life and the blood of the Planet. Use it all up, and everything just... slowly fades away.

[Sort of like a blight.]

[ and of course tifa is smart. she latches onto one of the more difficult points to explain. neve gives a slight shake of her head. it's complicated. ]

Not usually. Your mind does when you sleep; that's how we dream. But physically, it's a lot more difficult. The thing about the Fade is it's entirely raw magic. As a concept, it's difficult for those living to even envision what it once was before the Veil. The Fade itself reacts to emotion, even to thought. Spirits are born that embody emotions. When they are twisted against that emotion, that purpose, they turn into demons. Justice, Vengeance. Benevolence, Retribution. Compassion, Spite. Empathy, Pride. Despair. And many, many more.

[ part of her hates how much she sounds like solas right now and she doesn't even know the full extent of it. but also if tifa is listening closely enough, neve's words "before the veil" are a hint: it didn't always exist. there was a time before the veil. someone created it. ]

Given our connection to magic, our ability to harness it across the Veil, we mages are able to cross, with the right ritual. But it's dangerous. The Fade's raw magic can rip a person apart. Even more dangerous is a mage possessed by a demon. Spirits can communicate across the Veil. Get the right ritual and a powerful enough mage and you can pull demons across the Veil. Happens all the time in Minrathous. Those demons in possession of a mage's body can wreak total destruction. Even without possession, demons are dangerous.

If Emmrich ever turns up here, ask him the finer details about spirits and demons. That's his point of knowledge. I never had the Tevinter lineage — [ it's soft, but there's a hint of a scoff in her voice at the word "lineage," like she very much disagrees with the class system. ] — to grant me a full education. I got enough, but not what Emmrich studied.

So, the answer is "it's possible to cross, but difficult enough that you can't do it at will." Can't be done without a lot of preparation. Meaning those ancient magisters had a whole lot of magic and some big fancy ritual to let them all cross.

[Oh, she is definitely listening carefully, and she catches onto that choice of wording.]

So not quite like the Lifestream, but... similar, in some ways. Really different in others. Sounds... terrible, honestly.

[Her expression is thoughtful as she pours the water over the coffee grinds.]

You mentioned that people didn't know what the world was like before the veil. How long ago has it existed for?

Can be. Like a lot of things, it's perception, too. Knowing how spirits and the Fade itself react to thoughts and intention helps.

[ but there's also a reason, several honestly, that people aren't allowed or able to just cross over at any time. things are already difficult enough with the rituals thinning the veil and allowing spirits to be corrupted into demons and then pulled through to the physical world. and mages have it harder. they're more susceptible to possession, to being altered by spirits or demons. they need willpower, which neve likes to think she has.

as for the question about the veil, neve takes a slow, deep breath. ]

Impossible to say without asking the source and at this point, I doubt he'd be willing to offer it. Not that I have the means to contact him. That's someone else on our team. But it predates the Chantry's recorded history and most of what we have available, so best guess? Several thousand years. The Veil's creation and many events after it wiped out much of that historical period and we're still feeling the effects of that loss. The elves more than anyone else.

[ because she's not going to say it's her history that got wiped out when the elves got the worst of it. they are the culture most reeling and injured since. ]

We learned recently that the Veil, and a prison therein, also holds back the majority of the Blight. What we have seen as catastrophic events have only occurred with a fraction of the Blight's actual power. So you can imagine that keeping the Veil in place has become an important task for my team.

[ which suggests that there are people out and about who want to tear down the veil. but why would anyone want that, if demons would run rampant and more of the blight would consume the world? ]

So then...

[She looks back at the cloud, pausing, before she pours them both a cup of coffee. There is some cream and sugar that she sets on the counter, and slides Neve's cup towards her, frowning all the while.]

How'd that dragon manage to get through? I'm assuming that's where it came from?

[ neve gives her head a quick shake. ]

The old gods, the dragons that became archdemons, were sleeping deep underground on our side of the Veil. We've learned a lot about what they actually are very recently, but it's not common knowledge. And it sure makes everything much more complicated.

[ she notes tifa's attention on the cloud that formed her memory but her own is stolen by the coffee that makes its way to her. she takes a little cream into her cup before she answers again. ]

The dragon that attacked Minrathous in that memory wasn't an archdemon, but it was Blighted. Corrupted. Touched by the same entities that corrupted the old gods into archdemons. The Evanuris — [ and she is very careful not to call them "ancient elves" or "ancient elven gods" or even just "powerful elven mages". the elves have more than enough trouble as it is and that's not her story to tell. ] — were once ancient mages, immortal, and powerful enough to bind dragons to their will. Called themselves gods and demanded worship. They were all sealed away by the same ancient mage who created the Veil. The two Evanuris still living now control the Blight and were released during a massive ritual not that long ago. A ritual intended to tear down the Veil; one Lace and I tried to stop. [ and varric, but his disappearance reopened that wound and she's not ready to talk about it unless she has to. she might have to. she definitely should. ] Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain. Ghilan'nain corrupted the dragon you saw and commanded it to attack Minrathous while another attacked Treviso.

[ if tifa has met lucanis, she might have heard that city name. ]

Our leader, Rook, chose to help Treviso first. You saw what became of Minrathous.

Edited 2026-02-12 20:58 (UTC)

We can't all be in two places at once, unfortunately...

[The sadness in her voice is drowned out by the cup of coffee, and she sips hers, leaving it black and bitter.]

Was there really no one else who could save Minrathous while your leader was fighting off in Treviso?

[ it's something neve has needed time to come to terms with. it was a terrible choice and she can't say she's sorry treviso was saved; but the fact that saving one came at the cost of the other...

she's accepted what happened, and she doesn't blame rook any longer, but it still hurts. it's the kind of event that sticks in one's mind. it doesn't go away. ]

They sent a few of our teammates to help, but there wasn't time to mobilize anyone else. We barely had allies at that point and they were all dealing with their own problems. The Shadow Dragons fought as hard as we could, but we're a resistance group. We're not an army. And let's be honest: no one outside cares enough about Tevinter to help, even if they knew in time.

[ being who she is, neve is still very muted as far as emotional responses go in this moment, but for someone who knows her as well as tifa does, it's easy to hear the tension and pain in her voice and to see the same in how she holds herself, the way her arm gestures as she speaks. this event changed her, in ways nothing else has before or since. ]

One of our leaders, the Viper, was blighted. We don't know how long he has until he turns. The Shadows, the only resistance in Minrathous, are now scattered. With the Venatori cult in power, Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain now have the entire Tevinter Empire in their grasp.

[ there was no good choice. neve knows this well. but the picture she's painting now is that the choice ended up being save the civilians in one city at the cost of handing the ancient mages in charge of the blight an entire empire of power. they still haven't seen the full ramifications of that she's sure. ]

[Even if Tifa did not know Neve that well, like recognizes like. Tifa is someone who holds her own emotions close, reins them in and keeps herself leveled and steady so as not to burden others with her feelings. Her anger.]

You did what you all could. I know that much.

[She would never think that they didn't, but it still hurts nonetheless to hear that they couldn't save them all. Especially hearing that no one besides those who did try to help didn't care to step in and give their aid.]

You guys sound like us... Avalanche, I mean. Not the crew here, but back home. We were... a kind of resistance group, too. Fought as hard as we could to save a lot of people, but... there's only so much you can do in the end.

[That is something that Tifa is very clearly still trying to come to terms with, as she brings the coffee to her lips to hide her frown and sips.]

We did. But it's never enough, is it?

[ to the rest of thedas, tevinter is the land of slaves and blood magic. not many would think it a nation that deserves to be saved. and like rana had said when she and rook crossed paths after the attack: if rook had been in minrathous instead, maybe it would have made a difference, or maybe they'd be dead, too. there's no way to tell.

tifa's soft tale gives neve a moment to breathe, to bring herself out of the memories and the pain of explaining everything. something else to focus on. someone else's tale. ]

What were you fighting against?

[ she hasn't talked specifically about the shadows and the parts of tevinter culture they were fighting against, but maybe that's something they can slowly get into together. tifa's first, though. ]

Not quite the same, but... it's always the people who think that they've above the rest of us.

[A crooked smile at Neve before it vanishes behind her cup.]

They're called Shinra Electric Power Company, but the name doesn't really say much. They're a corporation who takes up all the life blood of the Planet, killing it.

[And while she doesn't agree with Avalanche's more extreme methods, she joined their fight for a different reason. Something a little more selfish than fighting for the Planet, but she won't get into that. Not here.

As she goes on, she makes a very concerted effort to keep her tone even and calm.]

They're selfish and don't care about the people. They'd let all of us rot if it meant that they had more power, more money.

Edited 2026-02-22 18:28 (UTC)

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action; late-december; memories

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cw: fantasy game blood, dead bodies, mention of executions/hangings

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