video; not tech savvy

[weisshappened]

Type: Video
Sender ID: weishappened (Davrin)
To: Public
Subject: figuring out the shellphone
Warnings: possible Veilguard spoilers, please let me know if you'd prefer to avoid them and I will! None in the original post.

[The post is really... more a series of quick mini-videos. Remember Vine? A little like that. But with less purposeful comedy.]

[A video of streets in Eltrut, the person moving along, camera pointed down for a good while, until it swings up so the holder can peer into it. At his heel is a flurry of feathers before the video stops.]

[A couple of the shops - the bookstore, general goods shops. A man's voice can be heard speaking, asking after general supplies. Complete with a squawk in the background as the man's voice asks after a... Bestiary?]

[And finally, the inside of one of the stater apartments, filmed like the phone's owner has just come home. He's speaking to someone not visible, but there's a patter of feet that definitely don't belong to a biped.]

- I know, boy. I know. No convenient way back, far as I can see. [Something trills, avian-like.] We'll keep looking. But for now? Let's get settled.

[And thus, the phone is set down, on a low table. Showing further images of the man, and - and a big grey, griffon face peering into it intently.]

Assan.

[This tone of voice.]

Assan, do not -

[Too late. The griffon has grabbed the camera. Ironically ending the feed there, but not before the sound of a chase is heard.]

Comments

[weisshappened]

[Assan squawks. Shoving his beak at the camera again. Why yes, he is! He is a griffon! Are you a new friend?]

He is - Assan. Down. [Miraculously, he listens, and sits obediently as Davrin picks up the camera.] He's a griffon. A very young one. I'm hoping he mellows a bit in the future.

[That's a lie, he loves you, Assan.]

Thanks. And no, you're not mistaken. We just got here. Figured exploring, figuring out the lay of the land was a smart move.

[netherese]

[He chuckles warmly as Assan's beak clacks against the lens.]

Friendly little fellow, isn't he? I'm certain he will; we all mature with age, regardless of how many legs we may walk on. I imagine that he's rather excited to be somewhere new— he hardly has to think about the nuances of such a situation, unlike ourselves.

[There's a lot to take into consideration when one has been tugged through a rift and has to quite literally find their land legs shortly afterwards.]

There's certainly plenty to see, as far as exploring is concerned. I hope whichever armada welcomed you at least pointed you towards food and lodging? They're usually good about such things, but occasionally it gets lost in the shuffle. A port town never rests!

[weisshappened]

Very... very friendly. Surprised me - they're supposed to be aggressive, territorial. But you'd never know it, looking at him.

[The little booger in question has his head lolled to one side, beak gaping with his head bobbing. He's laughing.]

They did. Got lucky - one of these places had a balcony for him, and everything. We're all right. [While he's talking, Assan has held up a stick - which Davrin casually grabs the other end of, tugging absently.] They didn't give us much of an explanation, though.

[... Partly because he'd been shouting at them to release the griffon, but still.]

[netherese]

There is the old argument of nature versus nurture— if he's been fortunate enough to be born and raised in kinder circumstances than nature would normally allow, that may well account for his cheerful countenance.

[Certainly a less aggressive companion can't be a bad thing. He watches Davrin manage both their conversation and playing with the griffon all at once, equal parts amused and endeared.]

The explanation is a touch rushed, isn't it? It took me quite some time to get my sea legs, so to speak. I'm certain several people have already reached out to offer any necessary clarification, but I'm happy to fill in any blanks as needed. Given your armor, I might hazard a guess that we come from places that bear some similarity to one another? Perhaps even the same— it's hardly unheard of, though I've not seen griffons quite like yours in Faerun.

[weisshappened]

[He thinks for a minute. Silently. Of the two others who'd found the eggs - of fallen friends. Maybe there is something to it. If others had found the nest, like hardasses like the First Warden... maybe Assan would have been different.]

[It's too bleak to dwell on, though.]

Here's hoping that's true. Hate to have a sweet kid who turns out to be a demon as an adult.

[Yeah he said kid, fight him.]

Not as many as you'd think. How'd we end up here, to start with? [He gives the stick a harder tug to keep it from being pulled all the way over to Assan's side.] You're not the first person to bring that up. I'm from Thedas, but never heard of Faerun before now.

[netherese]

I think the fact that you're concerned about such things is very likely assurance that he won't.

[Given that it's the sort of thing an invested parent would say— it seems Assan is in excellent hands, at first glance.]

We're brought to this place through rifts between worlds, though it has yet to be discovered why or how people are chosen. There must be some reason for it, and while I'm desperately curious to know, I've not found anything definitive.

As for our origins, I thought it worth asking. I've met strangers from my own homeworld here in the past, but as it so happens, while you've never heard of Faerun, I have heard of Thedas— only a bit, of course, and mostly regarding a place called Kirkwall, but the fellow in question didn't like to dwell on the past. Understandable, of course.

[weisshappened]

Hah. I'll take that as a reassurance. No one's done this before, so... I'm operating blind.

[And Assan seems more intelligent than a lot of animals he's worked around before, too. He's definitely going to worry.]

There doesn't happen to be some kind of giant mirror laying around, spitting out hapless travelers, does it? That's a real convenient way to get back home.

[That's not as funny as it would be if other people experienced falling through magic mirrors.]

Kirkwall? Of all places... that's what you've heard about? [He shakes his head.] I'm sorry to hear that.

[netherese]

Not that I've seen, but I must admit, such a phenomenon sounds fascinating.

[Show this man an Eluvian, I dare you.

Davrin's response to Kirkwall, however, startles a sharp, almost incredulous laugh out of him, his smile pulling to one side.]

It truly is that terrible, is it? I can't say Fenris' description made it sound particularly pleasant, mind you, so I ought not be surprised. It sounds as though it's a city of some infamy.

[weisshappened]

Didn't think so. They're called Eluvians, and they were supposed to be lost magic. And then we stumbled on an entire network's worth. So it wouldn't surprise me if there were one here, somewhere.

[Unfortunately for Gale, Davrin regards magic like normal people regard paranormal activity. Except it's real. He's probably a terrible candidate to explain it in detail.]

It wasn't the best. I heard something happened with their Chantry that kicked off a huge mage-templar conflict in the south. But... everything's a mess down south these days. Hard to tell which mess is Kirkwall and which is general chaos.

[netherese]

Thedas has fallen on especially hard times, then.

[There's genuine sympathy in his voice, his brows knitting together for a moment in concern.]

I'm very sorry to hear it. Such things seem all too common, these days. Mages aren't particularly well-liked where you're from, yes? At least— that was the impression I was given. I'm a wizard, myself; Fenris was quite wary of me based on that fact alone, and it didn't seem to entirely be a matter of personal taste.

[Sorry, Davrin. You and Assan have been spotted by perhaps the most curious riftfarer around.]

[weisshappened]

No kidding...

[He shakes his head, sighing. And reaches over to rub Assan's ears, idly.]

Depends on where you come from. Me, I'm Dalish, and a Grey Warden. We've got different feelings about mages than a lot of the world. [A shrug. "Wizard" seems like a wild title, but a mage is a mage.] Fereldan and Orlais kept them apart from the rest of the population, but somewhere like Tevinter? Magic's like social status.

[netherese]

Fascinating, even if cause for concern— from multiple angles, I suppose. Magic is often considered a sort of social status where I come from, as well, though I don't feel it ought to be, beyond a certain point. Years of dedicated study and expertise ought to be recognized accordingly, yes, but there are some who would keep what they've learned all to themselves— a terrible waste.

[He does, however, realize he's dangerously close to going off on a tangent that wasn't necessarily welcome. He doesn't always possess that sort of self-awareness, but Davrin and his companion being new arrivals hasn't slipped his mind completely, and he's certain there are other things on the elf's mind, even as other bits and pieces of their conversation catch his interest.]

I've only heard of the Grey Wardens in passing, and I confess to being curious about the order, but I recognize this may not be the ideal time and place. Instead, is there anything in particular that you feel might help you to get your sea legs, so to speak?

[weisshappened]

Magic's always been... weird, far as I'm concerned. I'm probably the worst man to ask about it. Never had a magical bone in my body. But from how you talk about it, you'd be right at home with one of the mages we work with.

[Emmerich, probably, would delight swapping notes with a mage from another world. Davrin, on the other hand, doesn't believe the Fade is totally real even while living in it.]

Honestly, I'm not sure what to ask. I'm used to... a direction. Orders - a goal. And frankly, it doesn't seem like that exists around here.