The Hammer and the Hand

"Hey! Are you alive? Can you hear me?" Barely keeping myself from throwing up sand and dust, I kept my lips together through sheer force of will and whispered [["Yes.."->Opening eyes]] through gritted teeth. For a brief moment I was unable to tell where I was or where that voice was coming from. Thus [[keeping quiet->Keeping silent]] seemed the only intelligent thing to do. Better safe than sorry. (set: $Excuseresponse to true) (set: $Fightexplained to true) (set: $Oppressionopen to true) (set: $Controlledviolenceopen to true) (set: $Civilwar to true) (set: $Infernostory to true) (set: $Esthensend to true) (set: $Notalright to true) (set: $Nohelp to true) (set: $Trial2 to true)

The stranger seemed pleased at my sign of live, "Well, you will not be alive for much longer, if you remain here exposed to the sun, snakes and the desert wind for much longer." Despite my eyes having been open now, I was only able to see his shape due to the fact that the sun was right in his back. To help me in my efforts to get up, the man put an arm under my back and supported me into a sitting position. At this point I could not hold back anymore and started coughing furiously. It felt like every inner organ of my body had been switched for a sand sculpture, now slowly decaying by painfully leaving my body through my mouth. The the heavy desert dust rubbed like shark's skin against my stomach, throat, tongue, lips and everything else it passed on its way out of my body. The stranger's patts on the back might have been heartfelt but did little to actually better my condition. After emptying the dry contents of my body and lungs for what felt like a short eternity, I was finally able to look up at the man, only to find myself quite astonished. "But...[[You are hardly older than a boy!->Confront Age]]" I prevented my face from giving away a suprised expression just in time, once I realized that the stranger's face was that of a young man no older than 16 falls. My reaction was but a short and firm [["Thank you!"->No age comment]]

"Well at least you still got a pulse. The question is, for how long... I am going get you some water. Surely I have a blanket or something, too..." The voice grew more distant and I decided to take the chance. Whatever action I took, it would have to be fast. I was feeling immensly sick; my stomach rebelled indicating to me that I would have to throw up, soon... [[Opening my eyes and looking around->Reconnaissance]], I tried to gather as much information about my surroundings as possible. I rose up in a swift movement and [[ran away.->Run]] Feeling way more comfortable to chat in a position of dominance, I got on my feet and jumped at the unknown man from behind to [[subdue him.->Subdue]]

Apparently used to these kind of reactions the youngling grinned, not in a childish manner but rather in a wise and understanding way, utterly unfitting for his boyish looking face. "I understand your surprise." The voice did not fit the boy's appearance either, a calm tone and a soft, yet conscious pronounciation. In the same manner, his way of words was not at all what the normal folks you would meet in the streets talked like, quite the opposite. It gave away an educated background, much like a scholar, not like the beggar I would have made him out to be regarding his clothing and skinny figure. "My story is a long one and rather none for this unwelcoming spot on the Elders' earth. We should see to get on our way. I am on the way to the city of Norn and it is still some distance to cover till there. Should you not want to lie down again, most probably meeting an unpleasent death, where is it you are headed now?" "I was coming from the Great City of Andraste, but I don't plan to go back there anytime soon. [[Norn->4 departure]] seems as good a destination as any..." "Well, is there [[anywhere else->2 Where am I]] I could go to around here?"

"It is alright", said the youngling. He seemed strangly calm and undisturbed by the whole situation. A thin but hearty smile graced his face which still was to overcome the last remnants of puppy fat. "Speaking of being alright. We should probably move on if we do not want to let the hot legacy of the Elders' fury snuff out our lives here." The voice did not fit the boy's appearance at all. A calm tone and a soft, yet conscious pronounciation. In the same manner, his way of words was not at all what the normal folks you would meet in the streets talked like, quite the opposite. It gave away an educated background, much like a scholar, not like the beggar I would have made him out to be regarding his skinny figure and the thin robe he was wrapped in. "Suppose you do not plan to go back to your bed of nature's grace, where are you headed?" Still not trusting the strange kid, now maybe even more than before, I did not plan to give him any more information than I would have to. "Thanks for your help, I am honestly grateful. Yet, I would prefer to keep my destination to myself." [[Then I walked away.->Run again]] I straightened my stance while having to admit to myself I was somewhat lost. Thus I simply asked, "[[What would you advise->2 Where am I]] a weary wanderer to choose as a destination from here on out?" [["I could ask you just the same question."->2 Where am I]], I said, willed to challenge him a bit. A short smile crossed my face in light of what I deemed to be a pretty clever counter-question, at least for someone who just woke up from a delirious sleep in the middle of the desert.

In a swift and elegant movement I rose and dashed towards the desert, away from the stranger. Running away would have looked just as smooth and professional as me getting up... would I not suddendly have been preoccupied throwing up half the desert's sand reserves, thereby giving it back to its rightful owner. With what was left of my senses during this process I tried to prepare for any action the man would take...Yet, nothing happened. Several minutes of dry suffering later I regained control of my body at last. That was when a pair of slow and cautious steps started closing in on me. Like a deer realizing a predator's proximity I dug one foot in the sand and continued my halted flight, [[taking off in a sprint->Run again]] as fast as the sand allowed it. Considering the fact that the stranger had not exploited my moment of weakness, it would probably do no harm to [[face him->Face stranger]].

Successfully fighting off the violent urge to empty my stomach's contents onto the desert ground, I tried to appear as if my head was just rolling to its side naturally. When no reaction from the stranger was perceivable, my eyes proceeded to slowly open a bit. They needed a moment to adjust to the bright light of the desert sun. As expected, the scene before me mainly featured sandy hills and plains. Aside from that, however, a few feet away a thin man cowered over a linen bag, his sparse wardrobe made from the same material. At the very moment the stranger was about to raise from his bag my belly started to revolt. I would have to weigh the odds, act appropriately and most importantly do all of it very fast. I could try to surprise the stranger and [[attack him from behind->Subdue]] to get the upper hand on on him. This way I could ask some questions from a position of relative safety. The man was still far enough away as to allow me [[a shot at fleeing->Run]]. I could simply [[pretend I was just waking now->Opening eyes]] from my delirium and hand my fate over to the stranger.

First I did a quick roll to push myself off the desert sand and get into a standing postion. Without making a sound I scurried towards the stranger readying myself to put my arms around his throat. This way, hopefully, I would get him to admit defeat without arguing much about it. He was quite preoccupied with searching around in his linen bag, which benefitted my undertaking. Ultimately it wasn't him who thwarted my plans but my own body... Just when I was about to grab him, my stomach, overly provoked by all the sudden movement, started convulsing violently forcing me to bow over as a fountain of sand broke free. As I stood there puking the life out of me, I noticed from the corner of my eye the siloutte of the stranger suddenly standing in front of me. I kept on vomitting for what had to be minutes until it finally tuned down to agonizing coughs. Having wiped over my tearing eyes several times my vision eventually cleared up enough to make out the stranger in more detail. He was not what I had expected him to be. "But...[[You are hardly older than a boy!->Confront Age]]" I blurted out. I looked into the face of a young man no older than 16 falls. Without betraying my surprise I brought forth a short and somewhat embarrassed [["Hello!"->No age comment]] from my still aching throat.

After running for quite a while, sternly looking forward as if it would help me figure out where to go exactly, I slowly realized that this strategy would not get me anywhere and I turned around - cautiously, because I somehow feared the stranger had kept his eyes on me and would spot my growing insecurity from a distance. As far as I could tell, looking into the direction I was coming from, this was not the case. He had shrinked to nothing more than a small dot creeping along the horizon. He seemed to walk straight towards a certain destination. Something I could not say about myself. I knew, if I kept heading straight to the East I would reach [[the ocean->4 The Beach]] eventually. What to do there I had no idea. [[The Great City of Andraste->4 Towards TGCA]] was somewhere towards the northern end of the desert. That's where I had come from and where I originally had not planed on going back to. Even if I wanted to, it was miles and miles to the North, a journey I probably wouldn't be able to make again in my current situation. I could follow the stranger from a distance and [[see where he went to->3 follow through desert]].

Calmly I turned towards the stranger. He had come to a stop, looking at me with ice-blue eyes. As I was now finally able to muster him more closely he turned out to be not at all what I had been expecting. "But...[[You are hardly older than a boy!->Confront Age]]" I was looking into the face of a young man no older than 16 falls. Without betraying my surprise I gave him a short and firm [["Thank you!"->No age comment]] as he had undeniably saved me from an ugly death under the desert sun.

I tried to help the young man packing up but he waved the gesture off with a smile. After donating some of the content of his water bottle to me, which I evermore thirstyly accepted, he put the linen bag over his shoulder, keeping it dangling at his side. Then he picked up a curious item next to him that for whatever reason I had not noticed up to now. It was the biggest hammer I had ever seen, its head resembling a small barrel of beer and the handle being as tall as me. From the looks of it, it weighed as much, too. The boy picked up the light end of the handle and dragged the weird accessory along behind him through the sand, creating a long groove in its wake. Passing me by this way served as an obvious cue for our departure, so I was quick to set my feet in motion, too. [["So, what's your name?"->Stranger's name]] I asked, looking at the young man interestedly. I preferred to [[keep silent->Rest in desert alt]] along the way letting my thoughts and my throat rest.

"I am heading to Norn, a small city by the ocean. To be perfectly frank, this is in all likeliness the only location you will be able to reach before dying of thirst, should you not be a trained desert hunter." He made a short pause to muster me from top to bottom, probably to emphasize the irony of his statement. "Apart from that you surely can make your way to the ocean as well. It lies within a day walking straight to the East, but you will only encounter just as much salty water as you have sandy plains here. The only other place settled by humans and remotly close to us - at least that I know of - is the Great City of Andraste, a metropolis as ancient as it is enormous. With enough supplies it is about two weeks in a Northern direction from here." He shortly tended to his robe, brushing off the desert dust to no avail, and continued when I still had not answered, "I strongly advise you to accompany me to Norn, or at least to go there independently. Otherwise your lucky reanimation might have been utterly for naught, which would honestly sadden me. Yet, I cannot force you to do anything, it is your life to decide over." Surpressing the dark memories of the 'Great' City of Andraste, that were slowly creeping back into my memory, I said, "Thank you. Not only for not leaving me here to rot in the unrelenting sun, but for your offer as well. I'll take you up on it. [[Let's leave for Norn.->4 departure]]" I wasn't much of a fan of cities and crowds. Thus, while the strange boy's offer seemed genuine, I decided to bank on [[the ocean->4 The Beach]]. Perhaps a ship would pass by. However great my dislike for [[the Great City of Andraste->4 Towards TGCA]] was, I had not thought this flight through to the end. Where should I eventually go? There was no place out there for someone like me. Maybe trying to get back and make a living in the city I despised was the best I could do.

It was probably the most strenuous part of my journey. Having fallen unconscious once, I had to muster all my remaining energy to stay awake until I finally heard the gulls squeaking. With the last bit of adrenaline left in my body fueling my actions, I climbed the next dune. There it was. The neverending painting of bitter caramell brown was being flodded with a deep blue up to the horizon. It was breath-taking. I descended the dune towards the water only to have despair slowly overwhelm me. What now? I had so believed myself saved once I reached the ocean that I never even spared a thought on how exactly my salvation would play out. A ship had swirled around in my hopeful thoughts. What were the actual chances a ship was to turn up at this exact spot? As my feet touched the inexpressably pleasent coolness of the water, I could not help myself anymore. A quenching thirst choked me like a blunt guillotine that had not managed to cut my head off as it was supposed to and now was lying heavily on me, slowly working towards my death. Thus I gave in and I drank the salty water. Eventually I did not stop because my thirst was stilled but because my body urged me to throw up the acrid fluid. Despite that I continued to drink, my craving for water gripping me ever tighter... At some point my strength left me and I collapsed into the shallow blue. Unable to get up again, I asked myself if I would die of the thrist or because I would ironically drown. [[The latter was the case->A new beginning (Defaul $ 1)]].

I knew this had been a bad idea from the start. Why would I go back there? Was it some distorted sense of home-sickness? It didn't matter anymore. It was a miracle that I had gotten through the desert with the resources I had but turning back the way I did was suicidal. The sandy dunes were finally about to get me. The merciless sunlight burned away the last of my skin and started creeping up on what was left of my senses and my consciousness. I had failed. The last thing I could do was apologize to the poor souls who I let down, who had helped me to get away only for me trying to return the next instance. With grim thoughts of regret and sadness I drew my [[last breath->A new beginning (Defaul $ 1)]] of relentlessly hot desert air.

"You are rather stubborn, are you not?" In the darkness the voice seemed to come from nowhere specifically. I was confused. Where was I? What had happened? I must have muttered the last question out loud as the voice answered. "Apparently you stumbled and fell to the ground." My head hurt, but then I felt the sweet coolness of water on my lips. After drinking my fill, I tried to open my eyes. It felt like opening a scabbed-over wound, but eventually I looked into the stranger's face. His young eyes reflected my gaze back at me. "You..[[You're no more than a boy...->Confront Age]]" I finally blurted out as no other thought entered my mind at the time. Ignoring his young age, I simply asked, [["What are you doing here?"->2 Where am I]]

"My name is Antiochenes of Ostritia." Another surprise. Such a name betrayed a noble heritage and the title of origin suggested quite some money. Ostritia was the seat of the wealthy in the Nataffarian Unia, a country quite a bit away from this forsaken desert. Being aware of the extravagant nature of his name Antiochenes smirked. He even averted his gaze, therby displaying a rare actual boyish gesture, seemingly a little bit embarrassed to adorn such a high and mighty name to his simple and plain appearance. Yet, in a moment's notice he was back to his friendly but inscrutable facial expression. Unsure how to react properly I just said, "Well, nice to meet you and thanks for saving me!" and held out my hand. Shifting the pole of the giant Hammer over to his left hand he shook mine with a firmness I was not expecting from such a fragile looking boy. [["Where do you come from, Antiochenes?"->Where from?]] I inquired, still curious about the peculiar name. I was curious how a young man with such a background had landed in the desert. [["Why are you out here?"->Why here?]] Considering our destination I wondered about my companion's motivation for going there. [["What are you looking for in Norn, if you don't mind me asking?"->Why Norn?]]

The inexorable heat of the sun had burned down on us for two days, only suspended by a few hours of rest under nothing more than thin sheets of linen, not even big enough for a tent. Antiochenes's water reserves had been scarce for one person alone and due to his generous sharing they had run out in the morning of the second day. When Norn was within a day's reach, we decided to rest one last time to gather our strength for the final part of our journey through the desert. I was overwhelmed when I thought of the prospect of civilization, water and shade. I would not have made it, if not for this young man and I was deeply thankful that he had stumbled upon me. While we molded the sharp sand into a bolster comfortable enough to sleep on as best we could, I observed Antiochenes. He was such a weird fellow. Although barely older than a boy, he was lacking any emotion so typical for that age. Instead he had the cold reasoning and dignified behavior of an old man. He lay down, his hammer next to him, and said with a benevolent, yet subtle smile, "Rest well," and turned around to sleep facing the infinite sea of sand. After thinking about this and that, what kind of a city Norn would be and if we would face any complications there, I eventually fell asleep as well. It was not long, though, until I was woken by strange noises. At first I rose with a start expecting that something had snuck its way into our barren encampment, but soon I realized it was actually a restless whimpering coming from the still sleeping Antiochenes. It seemed my companion was having a nightmare. So I approached him to see if he was alright. The iron mask he usually wore as a face now was covered in sweat and twitches. The constant display of knowledge and patience on his expression had given way to a scared child full of insecurity and loneliness, clutching to his enormous hammer. It was a completly different Antiochenes from the one I had come to know in the short time of our companionship. An especially strong twitch rippled through his face and pulled me out of my thoughts. I felt compelled to [[wake him up->Wake up]]. After all, I did not want to leave him to his nightmares, even though it brought forth some emotion in the statuesque young man. It was my empathy that prevented me from waking him up. This boy did nothing more all day than being more of an adult than any I had ever known. At least in his sleep he deserved to process the day with some emotion, some childishness, and be it only in the form of spooky dreams. Thus [[I went back to sleep leaving Antiochenes as he was->Norn on the horizon]].

"I believe the Elders have a plan for us. I believe there is something more to humanity than we can see. And I believe that we have to trust the Elders so that we can live up to their expectations. We have to present the best of ourselves, everyday - so the Elders can welcome us into their ranks, as they have always wanted to. Norn, however, is plagued by a corruption. While I admit that this is nothing unusual for a city, Norn is special in that respect. The corruption's heart is the Elders' temple of Norn. This is something I cannot let stand." He looked at me, suddenly somewhat disconcerted but simultaneously displaying a certain overwhelming determination. He continued, "I am aware of the fact that I might be the only one who is overly dissatisfied with this status quo. The Elders' Order is concerned with more global problems than tending to the situation of one minor haven city at the edge of the desert. I am no Knight of the Order, but only a firm believer in the values of the Elders. I won't be able to stop or even push back the corruption, yet, sometimes a deed's value lies not within the actual deed but within the signal it sends to others and to the Elders themselves. After all, when the light does not extend its reach, it will fade eventually." (if: $worthit is true)[[["That's a pretty bleak worldview..."->Worth it?]], I said raising an eyebrow.] (if: $TheElders is true)[[["There aren't that many true believers in the Elders, I guess."->The Elders]], I said, gazing into the distance and thinking back to the Great City of Andraste.] (if: $worthit is true)["[[Are you sure it's worth crossing a desert just to sacrifice yourself for this city?->Worth it?]] It might not even have any effect."] (if: $Whyhere is true)[[["And why did you choose the way through the desert to get to Norn?"->Why here?]]] (if: $Wherefrom is true)[[["Have you always been like that?"->Where from?]]] "I am interested to see how the people in Norn will react to your efforts.", I sarcastically commented. At this point I realized I should think about how to proceed myself [[once we were to reach Norn->Rest in Desert]]. So I spend the rest of the way pondering on this question. (set: $WhyNorn to false)

"Well, as my name says, I am from Ostritia. I was lucky enough to be born into a rather wealthy family of merchants and politicians which meant that I was lacking nothing. Everything a child could dream of I enjoyed, any toy I wanted, a luxurious home and of course a formidable education. My parents saw to it that I learned about as many aspects of the world as possible. Thus I had teachers for various areas of knowledge: politics, linguistics, the art of war as well as physical training, medicine and much more. They wanted to make sure that I would represent the family well once I was ready to step into their footsteps. One day I had an actual Knight of the Elders' Order teach me about her belief. I was mesmerized by her convictions and by how she spoke about them. The more she taught me the more her words burned themselves into my mind and my heart. They seemed to be a shining beacon where before there had only been a nebulous nothingness; they rendered all the luxuries and comforts meaningless but gave meaning to my life itself. I still thought about these teachings weeks after the Knight had finished her lessons, I aquired books about the Elders on my own and further educated myself on them. Eventually I knew that this was my path, a life dedicated to the Elders, so I followed their calling and left my home." [["Your parents surely weren't happy about that, were they?"->Parents' opinion]] I asked suspectingly. (if: $TheElders is true)[[["I'd like to know more about the Elders.->The Elders]] All I know is that they were - or are? - trying to elevate humankind to become something like a better version of themselves."] (if: $Whyhere is true)[It still was quite a distance between Ostritia and this forsaken place. [["What has brought you here then, into the middle of the desert?"->Why here?]]] (if: $WhyNorn is true)[[["So has your journey to Norn something to do with the Elders as well?"->Why Norn?]] I inquired curiously.] I did not know what to say. It seemed to be a surreal reasoning and a strangely understandable one at the same time. In any case, I was happy to have company on my way [[to Norn->Rest in Desert]]. (set: $Wherefrom to false)

"Actually I tried to get to Norn by ship. I had been to a smaller fishing village down south and hoped to find means of transportation to Norn there. Unfortunately the main routes run between the cities and ships rarely stop to dock in seaside villages as they barely bring any meaningful trade. Upon my arrival there only one ship was scheduled to visit their port for some months. While it seemed to be quite a lucky conicidence at the time that it arrived only one day later, everything took quite an unlucky turn when I talked to the ship's captain. To cut the matter short, this ship was no longer an option and I had to decide if I would backtravel to the next major city at the sea or if I would journey through the desert on my own." He looked up and smiled at me again with that adult smile of his. "I choose the latter." [["What exactly does 'unlucky turn' mean?"->Quarrel with captain]] I frowned at him. (if: $worthit is true)[[["You simply decided to walk through miles and miles of sand and dust for weeks?"->Worth it?]] I gasped.] (if: $WhyNorn is true)[There seemed to be something quite interesting in that city. [["Why do you want to get to Norn so badly?"->Why Norn?]]] (if: $Wherefrom is true)[This boy truly was peculiar. [["Where do you come from anyway?"->Where from?]]] Although it all seemed a little bit crazy to me, I myself had woken up in the middle of the desert; so I swallowed a sarcastic comment and decided to [[watch the dust whirl around in the air and let my throat rest->Rest in Desert]]. (set: $Whyhere to false)

He looked at me with an even more sincere and cemented facial expression than what I had become accustomed to in this short time. "I have left my home striving to follow my believes. I want bring forth what gave my life its sense and what I view as something that could bring peace not only to some individuals but to whole countries and eventually maybe even all of the continent. If that means crossing a desert and putting myself in danger of being denied, so be it. I think there is a better future ahead and I am absolutely and unyieldingly willing to put my all into it." [["Well, then let's get goin'!"->Rest in Desert]] I said with a conciliatory smile, yet still unsure of what was lying ahead. (if: $TheElders is true)[I was surprised by the intensity of Antiochenes's statement. It sparked my interest. "Tell me more about [[the Elders->The Elders]] then."] (if: $Wherefrom is true)[My eyebrows raised at this impressive show of faith and I started wondering where this boy might come from. "Where is your [[home->Where from?]]?] (if: $Whyhere is true)["But aren't there better means of travel than[[ walking through a desert->Why here?]]?" I inquired curiously.] (set: $worthit to false)

"They did not take it well, you are right. In fact, they spent weeks attempting to convince me to let go of my plans. It was quite an odyssey to assert my position towards them so I would be able to leave my home." When I looked at him one eyebrow raised, Antiochenes gave me a thin smile and said, "At first they thought it was just a youngster's idea, a means to rebel against his parents. However, once they grew aware of the fact that it was indeed more than that, guards started to 'support' me in my daily business, making sure I got educated in other disciplines than the Elders. I, on the other hand, started to take a special liking in escaping said guards. In some cases, which were particularly annoying for my parents, I even had lively discussions with some of these men and women about my convictions. My parents became increasingly frustrated with my stubborness and at the climax of our familal discordance they tried to lock me away entirely. That was when I, and I think them as well, realized that we had to have a talk, to forge a strategy for both mine and their future. We debated for two days and two nights, we shouted, we cried, we accused and finally, we forgave. In that hour our actual talk began and we came to an agreement. On the third day I left, without any pompous farewell ceremony but only with the stern looks of my mother and father in my back." He had left out the most interesting part! "What did [[the agreement->The agreement]] say?" (if: $TheElders is true)[Antiochenes continued to amaze me. "All that for a [[religion->The Elders]]? Do I understand that correctly?"] (if: $Whyhere is true)["And you thought the best way to see the world was traveling [[straight through the desert?->Why here?]]" I asked, laughing out loud.]

"The Elders... are just pure. They actually never fought back in the age of conquest, did you know that? They protected their people of course and defended themselves, but they never launched a single counter-offensive to fight back mankind. They were a people of peace and wisdom, not one of war. And even though we invaded their homeland and were about to completely annihilate them, they looked upon us favorably once they had elevated spiritually to what they are today - beings beyond our full understanding. I think, humanity can rise to these spheres as well, when they are ready. When they are ready to leave wars and violence and greed and envy and lust behind. When they are ready to embrace the Elders' hands reaching out to them. They left behind such a rich legacy of wisdom and knowledge, yet we destroyed as much of it as we could and the last traces left of them are used as weapons that wreak havoc to all of humanity. In the end inevitably they will prove fatal to the ones who use them as well. There has to be change and there will be if enough people are willing to learn from the Elders, are willing to believe in them and are willing to stand for that believe. Admittedly many call us deranged for having faith in a species annihilated centuries ago. Religious communities, on the other hand, see us as competition to their hegemony. But the Elders are no religion, they are reality and in my modest opinion they are the only thing that can deliver humanity from the certain doom it is once again steering towards, this time with a finality, I fear, no one can save themselves from." (if: $Wherefrom is true)[I had not expected that. To eleviate the mood I asked, [["So...have you always been this dramatic?->Where from?]]] (if: $Whyhere is true)[Looking at the sandy masses around us I commented with a smirk, "And you thought it best to [[spread your believes to the vast dunes of this desert?->Why here?]]"] (if: $WhyNorn is true)[This was quite fascinating to me. One thing I did not understand, though. "[[What is so special about Norn->Why Norn?]], that you have decided to start there?"] I did not know how to aptly respond to a statement of such gravitas and kept silently thinking about it as we drew closer [[to our destination->Rest in Desert]]. (set: $TheElders to false)

"The problem was quite a basic one. He wanted a lot of money and I did not have enough. The sir was not very pleased about that fact and I tried to sway his sour mood by offering my services on his ship. After all, I have a profound education and have accumulated quite some skills, particularly my knowledge about medicine was what I tried to make stand out. While he was indeed in need of a healer on the ship the man was convinced that my young age prevented me from having profound knowledge in any area at all. Unfortunately the position of the ship's boy, the only one he deemed me suited for, had already been filled as well. Thus the talk with the captain did not end in my favor and we parted ways. This lead to me choosing the direct way." (if: $WhyNorn is true)[Quite the extreme option he had decided on there. [[What is Norn holding that you were ready to cross a desert for?->Why Norn?]]] (if: $Wherefrom is true)[Chuckling in disbelief I asked, [[Have you always been so determined?->Where from?]]] "Well, I am surely grateful you did." As the sun began to set the silhouette of [[Norn->Rest in Desert]] began to peel itself from the desert horizon.

"It contained two main parts. Firstly, I would have seven years to roam the world and follow the will of the Elders." "That's a long time. What if something happened to you in these years?" "That is were the second part of the agreement came in. They would train and educate my cousin to meet the same expectations that were put into me to act as a failsafe in case something indeed were to happen to me preventing me from returning." "That seems cold." Antiochenes looked at me with a smile, but also something I would almost call a touch of sadness in his eyes and said, "It was everything but." I felt sorry for my harsh remark the very next second, but before I could say anything, Antiochenes continued, "They had a duty towards the family to make sure that someone well suited would be leading them into an uncertain future. Besides, it was the chance of a lifetime for my cousin, her parents most probably were delighted about that opportunity." "And if you should return? What about your cousin then?" "She would become my primary advisor and representative for matters I could not attend to personally." I was still somewhat alienated by the story but decided to let the matter rest. "Well, on to new beginnings then. [[Norn is waiting for us.->Rest in Desert]]" (if: $TheElders is true)[Antiochenes was obviously seriously dedicated to his believes. I wanted to know more about it. "Seems like you've already made sacrifices for your faith before even starting your journey. Why do [[the Elders->The Elders]] mean so much to you?"] (if: $worthit is true)[Turning my gaze towards the dunes of sand and more sand I asked, "Has it been [[worth all this->Worth it?]]?"]

"I am sorry to stop you so close to our destination," Antiochenes said looking towards the desert ground. Then he raised his gaze to meet mine and I could read sorrow in his eyes. Not for himself but for me. "I am not sure what you have heard of Norn and maybe it is not my place to talk to you in this manner... but you seem like a good person and I don't want to let you walk in there without some advice: This city is not to be triffled with." Antiochenes's grip grew tighter, but as soon as he became aware of it he let go. [["You are right. I do not like to be lectured!"->City Gates disappointed]], I said harshly and went on towards the City Gates. It seemed to be a city like every other; of course it would be dangerous. [["Explain yourself."->Be prepared]], I requested bewilderedly. I had not heard that Norn was any different from other cities, although it had been quite some time since I had heard anything about anything.

Antiochenes leaned on his hammer and looked to the ground thoughtfully, visibly forming the words in his mind. Shortly he looked at the city, then he met my eyes again. "I am convinced there is a light in this world and in humanity. That is why the Elders believe in us, why they even care at all. You see, humankind undenieably has goodness in its bossom." He paused, again, thinking hard. "Yet..., where there is light, there is always darkness, there has to be." I was unsure what all this was leading up to but did not want to discourage him from saying what he obviously felt obliged to say. "Humans have proven time and again that darkness finds strong and good hosts in them. So what do we do with these vessels of the shadow? How do we treat them? I have found no better way to deal with the darkness than what the Elders have shown us...and be assured I have put more than one thought into it." He starred at the city again. "Violence will always beget more violence. There is no end to it. Only the one who stops to be violent against another will break the circle and bring the light where before darkness reigned." I did not understand this cryptic message and became impatient. [["What are you saying?"->No Violence]] [["So you wouldn't defend yourself if attacked?"->No Violence]] I concluded. I decided not to encourage anymore talk about violence, afraid of where this was going. "Oh, look", I deflected, "[[the city gates!->City Gates disappointed]]"

"Of course we will not throw ourselves into the fire. The Elders not only ask but demand us to defend our lives against attacks. However, never in the slightest more than absolutely necessary and never if there is any other way. Which in general there is, if one is only willing to look hard enough." Thinking back to all the things I had seen and been through, I had to answer in the only way I saw fit, "I respect your believes, but they are yours, not mine. [[As you have to do what you think is right, I will always do what I think is.->City Gates disappointed]]" It was a heartfelt plead that I could hardly disagree with. [["I will do what is within my power to keep the peace."->City Gates thankful]], I assured him. (set: $NoSelfDefense to false)

Without saying anything more Antiochenes averted his gaze gloomily, directing it towards the gates of Norn. I wasn't sure if he was disappointed in me or in himself for not getting his message across as successfully as he had wished to. The rest of the way we walked in silence until standing in front of a bright looking guardsman, who had blocked the city gates rather enthusiasticlly once we had come into sight. I shortly wondered if he would perceive the hammer as a weapon, yet his relaxed attire and Antiochenes's casual manner of holding it caused me to think that it would be unlikely. "Hey there, folks! I figure, you'll want to enter the city?" Antiochenes and me looked at each other somewhat bewilderedly. Thirst made us both quite slow to react. Probably wondering just as me if this was a joke, a request for bribery or simply an honest question - which seemed unlikely regarding the lack of other options - Antiochenes kept silent. Judging from the fact that I would probably emit more authority than my companion with regard to my age, I very cautiously pressed out a "Yes...?" The guard smirked, visibly amused by our confusion, and then gave off a single but booming salve of laughter. "Excellent! Then you are talking to the right person! How about you state your buisiness? Smuggling anything? Maybe trying to bring some crime and murder into our beautiful city?" The man had raised one of his eyebrows inquiringly. Both me and Antiochenes were missing the words to react appropriately to the curious behavior of the guard and his rather blunt question. "Are you?", the guard said, as it seemingly dawned on him that we actually might be criminals. Both Antiochenes and me immediately blurted forward, "No! No, no, no!" Antiochenes took over at this point, "We are just travelers, good Sir, hoping to rest for a few days in this wonderful city of yours!" The guard began mustering us suspectingly while both of us were tensing up even more, waiting for his reply. As long as there was still time,I tried to save what was left to save and made him an offer. "Is there any kind of entrance fee, we have to pay? The city and its employees, [[especially good men like you, should surely profit from our arrival.->bribe attempt]]" Still very much unsure I looked towards Antiochenes for some guidance. He had returned to being his calm self. As our eyes met he gave me a confident smile; so I decided to [[stand down and wait for either the guard or Antiochenes to take any action->stand down]].

Despite myself not thinking much of the statement I gave, Antiochenes seemed deeply relieved for me to say it. With a light smile on his lips he walked onwards. After I had hastily caught up, it was not long until we were standing in front of a bright looking guardsman, who had blocked the city gates rather enthusiasticlly once we had come into sight. I shortly wondered if he would perceive the hammer as a weapon, yet his relaxed attire and Antiochenes's casual manner of holding it caused me to think that it would be unlikely. "Hey there, folks! I figure, you'll want to enter the city?" Antiochenes and me looked at each other somewhat bewilderedly. Thirst made us both quite slow to react. Probably wondering just as me if this was a joke, a request for bribery or simply an honest question - which seemed unlikely regarding the lack of other options - Antiochenes kept silent. Judging from the fact that I would probably emit more authority than my companion with regard to my age, I very cautiously pressed out a "Yes...?" The guard smirked, visibly amused by our confusion, and then gave off a single but booming salve of laughter. "Excellent! Then you are talking to the right person! How about you state your buisiness? Smuggling anything? Maybe trying to bring some crime and murder into our beautiful city?" The man had raised one of his eyebrows inquiringly. Both me and Antiochenes were missing the words to react appropriately to the curious behavior of the guard and his rather blunt question. "Are you?", the guard said, as it seemingly dawned on him that we actually might be criminals. Both Antiochenes and me immediately blurted forward, "No! No, no, no!" Antiochenes took over at this point, "We are just travelers, good Sir, hoping to rest for a few days in this wonderful city of yours!" The guard began mustering us suspectingly while both of us were tensing up even more, waiting for his reply. As long as there was still time,I tried to save what was left to save and made him an offer, "Is there any kind of entrance fee, we have to pay? The city and its employees, [[especially good men like you, should surely profit from our arrival.->bribe attempt]]" Still very much unsure I looked towards Antiochenes for some guidance. He had returned to being his calm self. As our eyes met he gave me a confident smile, so I decided to [[stand down and wait for either the guard or Antiochenes to take any action->stand down]].

"I would not call it an entrance fee... It is more of a service provided by our fine guards' guild...", he paused shortly, "...well, first and foremost by me, but anywho. I can give you very insightful info about local attractions, places to dine, highly regarded accomodations for the night and lastly, places newcomers should rather avoid. That goes for you especially, considering what you are carrying around." Somewhat confused about the comment I asked, "How do you mean?" "Never mind, it was impolite." The guard gestured apologetically towards Antiochenes who was not batting an eyelash. Still irritated I continued the momentarily frozen conversation, "And what price range are we talkin' about?" "Five Gold pieces." "Well, that sounds quite reasonable," Antiochenes said in an unexcited and yet curious voice. Hesitating shortly, I decided that it was ultimately Antiochenes's choice as he was the only one of us who had any coins, although I did not now about their amount. So I shrugged towards the boy, which made him produce five golden coins out of his bag and [[pay the guard->info about the city]]. Considering that we might need the money later on, I decided to grasp the chance and said with a lofty voice, "[[We appreciate your offer very much, but we are only traversing the city->Red Street Intro Trial 1]]. Aside from that we consider ourselves quite the explorers." Antiochenes looked almost dazzled by my swift reaction.

The guard raised his eyebrows a little higher still. Then the smile fell off of him disappointedly. "Well, then I guess I have to search you. Sorry for the inconvenience, folks, but please open your bag." Without any hesitation, Antiochenes let go of his enormous hammer to open his bag for the guard. After burying his nose into it and not finding anything that seemed of interest to him, he turned his attention elsewhere. "What's with the hammer...barrel...thing?" "It is not to be used as a weapon, I assure you.", Antiochenes responded calmly. "Not 'meant to', hm? Mind, if I take a look anyway?" "Of course not, Sir." Antiochenes dragged the heavy end towards the man. The guard knocked against it and, surprisingly, it seemed hollow. That hammer still was an odd thing to me. Yet, I had not wanted to impose my curiousness onto Antiochenes earlier, so I had kept it to myself. Evermore excited was I now about what the guard would bring to light. In opposition to my lack of knowledge, the guard suddenly appeared to understand what the hammer actually was, as his eyes flashed. "Looks like we got a real traditionalist here, huh?" Then he met Antiochenes's gaze. "Care to open it?" Antiochenes kneeled down and set the barrel up. With some finesse he removed its lid to reveal that it was halfway filled up with...sand. It took a while until I realized that my jaw had dropped. Did this youngster actually carry a hammer full of sand through the hellish-hot desert? Had I accompanied a child crazed by days of walking under the sun's brutal torment? As if I was not amazed enough as it was, the guard looked at Antiochenes, seemingly fully aware of what was going on, and told him, "Well, I won't stop you from entering the city but you should know that the faith is interpreted the modern way here. Nevertheless, if you stay true to your believes, there won't be any trouble." With that being said he let us go. Once we were a few feet away from the guard, Antiochenes seemed to sense my urge to ask about everything that had just happened and said, "Later, my friend, now is not the time." So I let it go, for now, and [[we entered the city->Red Street Intro Trial 1]]. As soon as I was sure the guard could not see us anymore, I took action. I was walking into a city with only some sparse pieces of information and with a companion who still seemed utterly and overly weird. It was not enough to go on to actually trust him, so I wanted answers. With some force I dragged Antiochenes into a little alley, grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him into the eyes:, [["There is something I do not know of here. Tell me. Now!"->Back alley]]

"Visiting Norn for the first time, I guess? Well, there is much to see. Our harbor is dating way back to the actual age of the Elders who most probably used this place as a travelpoint to circumvent the desert just as many do in our times. In honor of this historic legacy the people erected a temple for them about 200 years ago. Thus it is one of the oldest temples of the Elder faith. Speaking of which, you should be aware of the fact that..." he shortly paused and looked around cautiously before proceeding, "...almost... all of the regular citizens here are strict followers of the faith and while we welcome travelers no matter their origin or background, we also welcome them to pass through. Visiting the temple is reserved for those who actually 'know to appreciate it'." The last part he accompanied with making air quotes with his fingers. Then his expression grew more serious. "That said, the faith here is a rather modern interpretation. Unlike other believers who abhor any possessions, it is a matter of honor and faith here to earn money in order to support the community. More 'traditional' opinions are often taken as insults and might well be punished; so take caution. Nevertheless everyone is welcome here - we are a trade town after all - but due to some bad experiences many do not like them to stay for long, except if they wish to learn more about the Elders' ways at work here. Any new followers are welcomed with open arms." The corners of his mouth seemed to fight over going up or down and when one side had eventually won his expression lightened up again. "But I am getting carried away. Along the main streets, you'll find a huge number of merchants, especially when drawing closer to the harbor. How to recognize the main streets, you ask? Well by the long lines of merchants on its sides, of course." He burst into laughter. Antiochenes and I both did not know how to react regarding his rather grim speech beforehand. "Your most urgent aim probably will be to find something to drink. There are several stalls along the main street selling our fabulous ale made out of the paddle-trees that are only growing in the gardens of Norn. Should you seek suitable accommodation, there is a small but homely guest house near the harbor." With his speech having come to an end at this point, he looked at us expectantly. "Thanks for the info...", I said, somewhat surprised by the candid warnings in his descriptions of the the local citizens, turned towards Antiochenes and proclaimed, [["The city awaits, I guess..."->Red Street Intro Trial 1]] This grim advert was the straw that finally broke the back of my patience. With a short "Thank you!" I bid the guard goodbye and walked towards a little alley shortly beyond the city entrance. As soon as Antiochenes had caught up I grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him into his eyes, [["There is something I do not know of here. Tell me. Now!"->Back alley]]

The city was fascinatingly cool, the houses were arranged to throw shadow and obstruct the sun's relentless gaze, but still conveyed the feeling of an open and broad-spaced street. A whole lot of merchants were lining the housewalls, some silent, but most of them advertising their goods to the people passing by. The first thing Antiochenes and I did was approaching the next best stand offering something to drink. It might have been water, it might have been juice or anything else. We drank and drank and drank. Thankfully, whatever it was, it was cheap and so we filled our bellies until we both came close to the point of throwing it all up again. Reasonably we stopped beforehand, thanked the bewildered merchant and started strolling along the main street taking in the fascinating impressions with a pleasant feeling of contentment. While the area around the city gate had been almost devoid of any human beings, the crowd grew larger the deeper we got into the city. Soon Antiochenes had to be wary so people would not stumble over the hammer he dragged along behind him. I was riveted by all the merchants. Stalls were displaying trinkets, more or less genuine jewels, fruits, fish and countless other goods. One of them, selling oils and some other liquids I could not identify, was talking to some men and women in white robes tucked to their bodies by pieces of golden armor. The merchant, an old woman, seemed to defend herself for something; her smile put on and helpless, the gestures submissive. I kept my curiousity in check and walked by [[paying them no mind->Pause 1 (Berry time)]]. While the river of humans ran onwards, I let myself drift towards their direction. Maybe I could [[grasp some snippets of their conversation->Rabbit Hole 1.1]]. (set: $RedStreetIntro to false)

The hammer's handle fell to the ground as Antiochenes raised his hands in a pacifying manner, "I beg you, friend, calm down. I know this has all been a bit much for an unfamiliar soul but I will explain." I let go of him, crossed my arms and frowned at him expectantly. He picked up his hammer again and explained, "I am one of the last traditional believers in the Elder Faith. That means that I abhor violence and try to prevent it at all costs. Others see violent means justified if it serves the betterment of the community." [["And this is the case here? The guard did not seem very violent."->Norn violent?]] I retorted. [["What about the hammer then?"->The Hammer]] I pointed at his enormous accessory.

"You will not like this, my friend, but we have to stand by and do nothing. As hard as it might be to believe, this will turn out to cause the greater good." "What?!" Like water receeding during the falling tide I was at a loss of words. I thought back to my own days in Andraste, how I was treated, how I felt helpless and how I had no-one to turn to when the overseer was about to punish me for some minor mistake once again. Then the words returned to me in a tidal wave, "You want to let this harassment go on without lifting a finger? How does your religion go along with this? Aren't you all in for helping everybody and stuff like that? These are men wallowing themselves in their own power at the expense of others. I might not know this place, I might not know these people, but I know oppression when I see it, no matter what veil it holds before its ugly face!" Calmly, as ever, yet visibly surprised by my strong reaction, Antiochenes responded. "And what do you think, would this help? Stepping onto the dog's paw will not make him open to your ideas of change. On the contrary, it will only antagonize him, no matter how reasonable your suggestions of peace and friendliness might seem, no matter how diplomatically you might intervene. These people will perceive it as open disregard of their power. We have to get to the head, the original source of their power and only by swaying them, peacefully and patiently following the methods of the Elders, we will be able to change a group, a society, even humanity itself. Your way, however, represents the methods of men which have proven useless time and again." I had had enough of this! Who did this boy think he was, some kind of messiah? "And what of religion? Huh? What good has that ever brought? You think you can just walk up to those people's leader, sing some chants, exchange some gifts and all the troubles of the world are blown away like dust?" I tried to get a look at the white robed men and women again but a throng of people had pressed itself into my line of sight. Antiochenes drew in some air, not in an angry way, but rather like a parent trying to explain something to their child for which they are simply not old enough to grasp it properly. I did not wait for his reply. With a firm [["I am going to help now!"->Escalation 2]] I stormed off. Although everything seemed better than standing here allowing a kid to think it has to teach me a lesson, having said my part it felt only fair to [[give him a chance to respond->For the greater good]].

Norn was huge. It felt like an enormous bee hive, with people scurring around on the main street and in the maze of smaller streets, alleys and back lanes that seemed to branch off of it. The white robes were passing us by several times, often in seemingly friendly conversations with other more casually dressed folk. As I continued walking, I suddenly became aware of the fact that Antiochenes was gone. Confused I looked around, thinking that maybe I had just overseen him, but it seemed that he had simply disappeared. Panic started to grow inside of me. I didn't know why, after all I had crossed part of the desert on my own, yet somehow the little fellow gave me a feeling of comfort and safety. Hopefully nothing had happened to him. Perhaps the white robed people... "Cona-berry?" Antiochenes's voice hit me like his enormous hammer probably would should he ever use it. "Where have you been?" I asked him with a mixture of shock and relief. Antiochenes looked at me with wrinkled eyebrows and asked, "Are you alright?" I looked to the heavens pressing out some air in relief and answered, smiling like a mother having found her lost child again, "Yup. What have you got there?" With his teeth all blue from the berry-juice he said, "Some Cona-berries. They sell them at a stall back there and I thought this might be a well-deserved treat for us." He prompted me to take some of them from his mostly blue hand while laboriously picking one with his other hand and simultatneously trying not to let go of the hammer. When he finally managed to bring it to his mouth he started chewing on it happily. [["Sure, I'll take some. Thanks!"->Trial 2 start]] I responded and gladly took some berries immediatelly stuffing them in my mouth and enjoying their sweet, refreshing taste. [["I'm good."->Trial 2 start]] I said waving off.

"Dear sires Exabal, you can see, I have great wares, can't you?", the woman said with a slight tremble in her voice, "I will have the tribute tomorrow. Maybe the Elder Speaker would like some precious oils as atonement? I have the finest of them all, for meals, the skin..." A white robed man interrupted her, "Do you take us for thugs, woman? You cannot bribe the Exabal or the Elder Speaker as you cannot bribe the Elders themselves. You have to come with us to the reparationist." "No, wait, please take some of my wares!", the merchant responded in panic. She grabbed his robe, "Please, it's been only three days, you have to take some wares, I beg you!" Calmly, but with visible force, the man took her hands by the wrists and moved them away from his body. He was obviously willing to turn this into a demonstration of power if need be. "Come with us, now, and no harm was done. If you defy the Elders' will, however, the consequences will be more severe." Desparately she looked around into the faces of the people starring at her, mine among them. I knew that I was not grasping the situation in its entirety, I did not have all the facts...However, this woman was desperate and she was afraid and somehow these men were the reason for that. I was not willing to let her be harmed and went to [[intervene->Warning1]]. The situation might seem dire, but this was a foreign city with foreign costums by foreign people. I was not in the know here and might well make matters worse. Thus I [[rejoined Antiochenes in the human river on the main street ->Pause 1 (Berry time)]].

"What do you intend to do?", Antiochenes, suddenly standing beside me, asked like a father catching his child sneaking out at night. Pointing towards the situation, I explained with a determined tone on my lips, "I'm gonna do something before this escalates." Slowly his gaze wandered towards me. Visibly choosing his words wisely, he said, "That is honorable, indeed, but be aware of the consequences of your actions. How exactly do you plan to handle this?" As people were passing by behind us, I realized that the sands of time would not stop for this sort of idle planning. Better to do anything than just standing by, thinking while it all went south. [["I'll figure it out."->Escalation 2]] That said I pushed myself defensively in front of woman. I was caught between my fear of apathy in the face of these white robed weirdos and Antiochenes's cautionary reasoning. Paying the price of time I decided to answer him, "Well...I don't know yet but [[how can we stand by and do nothing? ->Pick your battles]] People might die because of our inaction!" "Do you know what will happen to her at the reparationist?" I asked Antiochenes and he denied. So [[I asked a man standing next to me, who the reparationist was->Reparationist info]].

"Stop it!" I shouted. "You have established your power. That has to be enough! Why be cruel now?" Everybody suddenly fell into a choking silence. They all starred, Antiochenes included, first at me, then at the robes, then back at me. Finally one of the other white and golden robes stepped forward and asked in a casual manner, "What are you doing here, stranger?" "I am trying to defend a defenseless person from people who obvsiously do not know when enough is enough," I replied, my voice swelling with determination. With one swift movement the woman had not only drawn her sword but was pointing it at my Adam's apple, too. "I could say the same about you. Do you even know what is happening here? We are representatives of the Elder Speaker Esthen. The Elder Speaker! This is Exabal business; the death of this man is rightful. Step aside and let us carry out our duties. We are willing to show you mercy since you are a stranger and obviously blind to our ways." His gaze took on a dark tone. "Should you not see this offer of mercy for what it is, however, I will cut you down myself." Antiochenes' glance said it all. Nevertheless my decision had been made as soon as I stepped out from the crowd. [[I stood unwavered->Near-Death-Experience]] facing the bully, because that was all she was. (if: $Trial3 is false)[I looked at the woman long and hard...and finally [[stepped aside->Arrested trial 1]], turning my gaze to the ground.] (if: $Trial3 is true)[I looked at the woman long and hard...and finally [[stepped aside->Arrested trial 3]], turning my gaze to the ground.]

"The only way to truly end this will be an argument with the one responsible for all this, the Elder Speaker. We have to convince him that this is not the way, that violence will never lead to peace. The same I am telling you now. These people will not listen to you. If you intervene now, there will be a fight and violence will carry on, just as it would have had you not stepped in. Maybe here, maybe somewhere else, maybe now, maybe some other time. True change cannot be achieved through violence and it cannot be achieved here, but at the root of the problem, by talking with the Elder Speaker," Antiochenes answered in a voice as sincere as a one can be. (if: $Trial2 is true)[I had heard his argument. And I was not convinced. With flaring nostrils I replied through gritted teeth, "I disagree," and shoved aside some people to [[step in front of the white robes->Escalation 2]].] (if: $Trial2 is false)[I had heard his argument. And I was not convinced. With flaring nostrils I replied through gritted teeth, "I disagree," and shoved aside some people to [[step in front of the white robes->Escalation 1]].] (if: $Trial2 is true)[I was angry. Not because he was wrong but because his words somehow made sense. In need of sorting out my thoughts and [[fed up with Antiochenes's wisdoms, I dove back into the masses->Pause 1 (Berry time)]] letting myself float along, only checking half-heartedly that Antiochenes wouldn't loose me.] (if: $Trial3 is false)[I was angry. It wasn't because he was wrong but because his words somehow made sense. I felt helpless as I stood there [[doing nothing except for watching->Trial 3.1]].] (set: $GreaterGood to false)

As we decided to move onwards again the masses took hold of us and carried us towards the city center. Yet, the river adjusted its course due to a big square appearing in the way, changing the current's course. While everybody else seemed somehow naturally aware of the detour, Antiochenes and I were washed up on the square's rim. My companion quickly pulled his hammer close to him, just in time so a pack of hastily walking and talking men did not stumble over it. The stands were somewhat bigger here given the broader space. In addition to the salespeople praising their wares in the known fashion a group of people, white robes with golden armor among them, were watching what seemed to be a fight. I looked at Antiochenes for direction on how to proceed. The young man was already about to [[rejoin the current->Trial 3]] and looked back at me expectantly. Suppressing my first impulse to get back into the masses, I moved forward, interested to [[see what the commotion was about->Rabbit hole 2.1]]. (set: $Trial2 to false)

The square felt like a tightly organized hive. People obviously knew where they could, had to and were not allowed to go. The fighting space in the middle seemed socially encapsulated by some kind of invisible barrier. Sure, people were standing around and watching what was happening inside but they all were respecting a hidden line encircling it and no-one seemed to dare cross it. I, and a visibly reluctant Antiochenes with me, was squeezing through several rows of spectators. Finally we made it to the front and got a closer look on the fight in the square's center: A band of roughly twenty white and golden robed men and women were standing in formation. Right in front of them two of their comrades were fighting a spear-wielding peasant woman while a man also dressed in simple clothes was lying dead on the ground. One of the men had positioned himself behind the woman and was about to strike. She quickly evaded his sword right when it would have pierced her skin, turned around, grabbed his hand and rammed the spear into his chest. Fluently her hand let go of the spear to take the dead man's sword, parried his comrade's incoming attack and punched him in the face. Instinctively he held his nose which lead her sword right at his throat. None of the other robes twitched an eye. The woman pulled the sword back to take a final lethal swing at her opponent. [["Stop!"->Call for caution]] I yelled, not really knowing what I was doing. This situation seemed unreal and utterly confusing to me, but the man was beaten. There was no need for her to kill him. I was not to stand by while a defenseless man was being slaughtered. I could not make sense of any of this. Why were the white and golden robes watching passively while their own people were being killed? Who was this woman? While her action seemed cruel I knew too little about the situation to act on, so I decided to [[stay where I was, watching in silence->The applicant's admission]].

"Stop it!" I shouted. "You have established your power. That has to be enough! Why be cruel now?" Everybody suddenly fell into a choking silence. They all starred, Antiochenes included, first at me, then at the robes, then back at me. Finally one of the other white and golden robes stepped forward and asked in a casual manner, "What are you doing here, stranger?" "I am trying to defend a defenseless person from people who obvsiously do not know when enough is enough," I replied, my voice swelling with determination. With one swift movement the robed man had not only drawn his sword but was pointing it at my Adam's apple, too. "I could say the same about you. Do you even know what is happening here? We are representatives of the Elder Speaker Esthen. The Elder Speaker! This is Exabal business. Step aside and let us carry out our duties. We are willing to show you mercy since you are a stranger and obviously blind to our ways." His gaze took on a dark tone. "Should you not see this offer of mercy for what it is, however, we will cut you down here and now." Antiochenes' glance said it all. Nevertheless my decision had been made as soon as I stepped out from the crowd. [[I stood unwavered->Near-Death-Experience 2]] facing the bully, because that was all he was. I looked at the man long and hard...and finally [[stepped aside->Arrested trial 2]], turning my gaze to the ground.

Just when the man removed his hands from his face he saw the swing of the sword coming in, unable to do anything against it. The sound of the impact reminded me of someone stepping into a large pile of frozen snow. The blade did not cut the throat completely, so the head tilted to the side still partly attached to the rest of the body by a pack of sinews, muscles and skin. The whole lump eventually fell down to the ground. The woman tossed the sword away, kneeled in front of the formation of white and golden robes and turned her gaze down. A few moments later a man broke the formation and stepped forward. He picked up the sword and pointed it right at the woman's throat without evoking any reaction. The tip of the blade rose to her chin causing her to raise first her head, then her whole body. As they faced each other the robed man suddenly threw the sword into the air and caught it at the tip thereby offering her the handle. She took it, bowed and followed him off the square. The other robes did the same only stopping to take the bodies of the dead with them. As soon as the last of them was gone the audience's invisible line vanished and people walked all over the place. They only took notice of the blood in order to not sully their clothes. [["What just happened?"->The Exabal admission]] I asked Antiochenes in disbelief. Not wanting to create any fuzz and draw attention to us, I decided to [[quietly join the fray of the main street->Trial 3]] once more. Antiochenes did not have any objection to that.

Antiochenes explained, "This city is under the religious law of the Exabal. They are followers of the Elders' faith just like me, yet we have different interpretations of their will. While I think violence should never be used they think it to be a means to an end. In their pursuit of peace between all of humankind they think the weak have to be protected by the strong and the strong have to be pledged to the Elder's code and follow the command of the Elder Speakers, our faith's highest instances. These strong men and women thus are a caste of protectors who are not only allowed to use violence but are trained in doing so." [["So the Exabal are something like city guards?"->Like Guards?]] I asked curiously. That confused me, [["You do not think that the weak should be protected?"->Not protecting weak?]] (if: $TheHammer is true and $RedStreetIntro is true)[There was still another question I wanted to ask him, [["What is it about that giant hammer?->The Hammer]]] (if: $Elderspeakerinfo is true)[One thing in particular peaked my interest, [["Tell me more about the Elder Speakers."->Elder Speaker Info]]] (if: $RedStreetIntro is true)["I see." My curiousity being satisfied [[I was ready to move on->Red Street Intro Trial 1]].] (if: $RedStreetIntro is false)["Seems quite a serious conflict," I said and Antiochenes nodded. That's when [[we reached the temple->The Outer Temple]].] (set: $TheExabal to false)

After walking with the stream for a while, it felt like we were drawing close to the city center. People began scattering into broader bystreets and into big houses, which hosted whole markets. "PLEASE!" I suddenly heard someone scream at the edge of the flow of people. "I have given you everything! I have nothing left except for him, please don't do this!" A desperate man was holding on to a boy of about ten years of age who was crying without any restraint. The man begged two white robed and golden armored women who were about to tear the child from his grip, "Please, please! She wouldn't have wanted this for him; he's done nothing wrong. Please, please, please..." Out of breath, while still struggling resolutely, he gasped for some air to continue his pleading, thereby giving them the opportunity they needed. With a firm pull the young boy slipped through the man's grasp. Visibly shocked he used his last reserves in an attempt to go after them. Faster than he could react one of the women in gold and white turned around and thrust her foot into the man's stomach. He crashed to the ground, spitting blood. "Please, dear Elders, please don't let this happen...", the man whimpered. "Don't you understand?", the women asked, "How can you be so blind to the will of the Elders? He is given the greatest honor one can think of! He will be raised as one of us!" When the man just kept lying on the ground and sobbed, she readied herself to kick him into understanding. "Hey!", I heard myself shouting, [["Leave this man alone!"->Rabbit hole 3.1]] I didn't exactly have a plan but at least the woman would be stopped from hurting the man for now. Would interfering make matters worse? How could things get worse than a child being kidnapped violently? Still, when I looked to Antiochenes wordlessly he shook his head. So [[I did nothing->Trial 3.1]]. (if: $GreaterGood is true)[[["Should we just let this happen?"->For the greater good]] I asked Antiochenes. We didn't have much time to contemplate.] (set: $Trial3 to false)

A hand pulled me back with quite some force and Antiochenes's voice whispered into my ear. "I implore you, do not do this. I see the injustice just as much as you do but you will not be able to help this man. They will only kill you, too, for interfering with official business. Let us go to the Elder Speaker and convince him that this whole practice is wrong; this way we can actually make a difference. We might not be able to help here and now but we will be able to help those who come after." "No! I will not stand down! You might be able to reason away your apathy, I am not! [[I will help this man!->Escalation 1]]" That being said I shoved away the people in my way to get the open space on which the scene played out and I did not stop until I stood between the man and his harassers. "Damn this!" I said and broke free from Antiochenes grip. Simultaneously seeing his point and angry because of it, [[I did nothing->Trial 3.2]].

Following a march marked by silent, intensive thinking the end of the the main street was finally visible. We entered a large and broad square which appeared to be the city square. Remarkably there were no stalls here at all. Instead its sides were lined with buildings that all seemed to serve one important function or another, marking this as the original seed the modern Norn grew from. There was a hospital, a few specialists' stores like a blacksmith and a jeweler, a small palace probably serving as a community, political or royal center of some sort and other buildings one would expect to see at such a place. The square was crowned by an enormous fountain in the middle. A giant bronze man was standing on a pedestal stretching his arms out to the side. In the right hand he held a shield, in the left one scroll. Strapped on his back was a sword. The statue looked towards the sky and his open mouth was the fountain's water spring. People were wandering about the square, sitting at the fountain and visiting the shops. The white and golden robes patrolled here just as anywhere else. Despite the square being far from empty, it felt far less narrow than the main street. We had some elbowroom here and Antiochenes did not have to constantly watch out for people tripping over his hammer anymore. Eventually a small inn caught my eye. As if Norn and its citizens wanted to make a point of travellers not being frequent here and rightfully so, the inn was squeezed between two much larger buidlings and despite it featuring three stories each only had two windows. I welcomed the opportunity to rest for a bit. Antiochenes on the other hand did not seem very open to the idea of pausing. Instead he dragged his hammer northwards where the temple's belfry towered in the distance. The only other things of similar height were some ships' masts at the nearby harbor. "Antiochenes!", I stopped him, [["Shouldn't we rest for the day and continue our way tomorrow?"->Suggest Inn]] Shortly thinking about resting at the inn, I quickly threw the thought in the wind and [[caught up to Antiochenes->Towards the temple]]. I stood still, my eyes fixated on the street towards the harbor. Antiochenes stopped as he became aware of it and looked at me. [["I think our paths split here."->Early end]] I said calmly but decisively.

A cry of agony from the man heralded the foot's impact. "You are not doing the Elder's will...", the cringing lump said through gritted teeth, "You are just bullies." And he pulled himself together, put one hand to the ground for support and raised himself back to an unstable stance. "You really think that, huh? You've learned nothing from the world around us, nothing from the Elder's teachings. But you know what? Why don't you show us then? Defend yourself against us bullies." She took his hand, forced it open and put her sword into it. Then she gestured her comrade to give her hers. "You have committed a crime but you can redeem yourself and prove your worth to us and the Elders, if you are able to beat me!" The man's gaze jumped hectically, first to the sword in his hand, then to his opponent waiting for him to start the fight, then towards the small audience which had formed and finally back to the sword. All of a sudden anger flared up in his eyes. The frustration of being at the receiving end of life's unfairness seemed to have reached a peak for him. I felt for the man deeply and I tried to project some of my strength onto him by shouting, [["You can do this! For everybody at the bottom getting exploited by those at the top!"->Trial 3.2]] This did not feel fair. Although he was given a weapon, the odds of a man out of strength and out of breath to win against a trained fighter were next to zero. [["Don't do this! Don't give her the satisfaction!"->Trial 3.2]] I yelled. I've had enough of this. Simply watching or talking would not end this. Someone had to do something. So [[I moved to intervene.->Rabbit hole 3.1]] I knew what Antiochenes would say about this. That it wouldn't help in the long run to say or do something here. That it wasn't easy but we had to keep silent. I do not know if it was cowardice or actual restraint but without looking at my young comrade, [[I stood firm keeping my lips closed and my eyes peeled.->Trial 3.2]]

Aggressively the man pushed forward holding the sword in the general direction of the white and golden robed woman. She paried his attack with ease and lead his blade into the void. Her other hand shot forward to grab his arm, twisted it and turned him around. The child began to ferociously cry again as the woman thrust her sword into the man's back so hard that it went right through his stomach and emerged with a fountain of blood on the other side. Me and some others in the audience averted our eyes. With a kick the woman pushed the body forward and off of her sword as if it was dirt sullying the blade. Without further ado she spinned on her heel and shouted at the audience, "We will protect you! But only if you let us! Such heretic crimes will not stand! This city will not...", she took care to emphasize this, "...will not fall back into those dark times past. While the rest of the world is still eager to drown each other in their blood we are here to protect each other. Those who will not respect that, those who will stand against the peace and protection the Elders teach us will fall!" That being said she picked up the man's lifeless body and carried him past the watching crowd followed by the other woman dragging the crying child behind her. I felt helpless and guilty for not having done anything. There were no other thoughts but these running through my mind as [[I walked by the scene of the event and onwards to the city center->Trials completed]] following a silent Antiochenes. Fury began to fill my heart as [[I turned towards Antiochenes, "Is this your goal?->Justifying Spreading Goodness]] I'm asking in all seriousness. Is this what you want to achieve, what you expect me to tolerate? We should have done something!"

While Antiochenes's face was never that of the boy standing before me, the face it should have been, now it seemed even further from any childish innocence than usual. It could have just as easily belonged to an old emperor who had sought the best for his people throughout his life, although the best had not always revealed itself easily. His expression now showed all the confidence that one could imagine and clearly implied that he, at this very point in time, standing there, looking at me without a doubt in his eyes, knew what was the best thing to do. So eventually he answered. "Yes." His gaze remained iron, his posture unwavering as if beaten out of a rock. "Yes, I expect you to endure this, if you want to be the harbinger of change. Fighting is easy if you fight for something you believe in; compassion, friendship, love, honor, greed. Doing nothing is even easier if you know how to keep away from motivations like these. But doing nothing when you are whole-heartedly feeling compelled to intervene. That is the true challenge the Elders present us with." "[[I have had enough.->Early end]] I won't accompany you to the Elder Speaker, Antiochenes. I cannot bear this kind of thinking anymore. Farewell." And just like that I turned around and left. Without further goodbyes or wishes I walked my path towards freedom. I was mesmerized. Antiochenes had caught me off guard with this. Unable to find words and with my rage almost forgotten in the face of this incarnation of determination I had just witnessed, I simply stared at him. I did not know if I shared his reasoning but I understood his point of view. If out of interest or because I actually believed he could achieve what he planned to, [[I decided to go to the Elder Speaker along with him->Towards the temple]].

After parting ways with my companion I stayed one night at the inn. I had enough coins to not only pay for the room but also to pay for my passage over to the city of Querrin in the north. On my way to the harbor the next morning Norn seemed different. I barely met any robes. The harbor itself, however, was very lively and I was lucky. A large trade ship en route to Querrin had stopped in Norn this morning and it would sail off this very afternoon. Upon boarding I looked back one last time. How Antiochenes might have fared? Might he have been able to convince the Elder Speaker? Well, maybe I would know someday, I thought and then went under deck to leave this city behind. A new chapter of my life was starting now as this one had come to an [[end->A new beginning (Defaul $ 1)]]. I was excited to see what the future held.

"The Elder Speakers represent the highest authority in the Order of the Elder Faith. Although my way of believing is an exception in that regard, even for me they are persons commanding immense respect. While they are usually travelling the continent together with a number of their followers, advisors, guards and others, they meet regularly in one of four cities to hold council. There they deliberate on matters of high importance such as the standpoints on certain events or the admission of disciples. Every Elder Speaker can choose one disciple who will one day succeed them and take their place. Esthen was one of these under the Elder Speaker Urkmene. Urkmene was a former Knight of the Order and as that a strong advocate of turning the Knights into an actual military force to approriately protect believers. She died before being able to achieve this goal when she heroically defended a congregation in Great Arkan from an anti-religious mob. Despite her best efforts almost every follower of the Elder Faith there, including her entire unit, was killed. Only one man survived: today's Elder Speaker of Norn. Esthen had been sent out to gather support from two Speakers residing close to the border of Great Arkan at that time. However, he was rendered helpless when any support was denied in order to not complicate the Order's political relations to Great Arkan. When his request in the next council session - him being an Elder Speaker by then - to finally accommodate Urkmene's request to extend the Knights' power and number was declined as well, he eventually broke with the Order. After nobody had heard anything from him for quite a while he finally resurfaced in Norn, a city reigned by crime syndicates. At a surprising speed he converted the city folk into believers of the Elder Faith. It seems the average citizens yearned for a strong ruler and a beacon of hope they could look up to. Some of the syndicates tried to fight him but the more his Exabal grew the more they either defected or went into hiding. That is how he got the position he is in today." (if: $TheElders is true)[The Elder Faith was quite powerful, it seemed.[["Could you tell me something more about the Elders?->The Elders alt]]] (if: $RedStreetIntro is true)["It will be interesting to see what expects us then," I said as [[we moved further into the city->Red Street Intro Trial 1]].] (if: $RedStreetIntro is false)["Phew, I did not expect him to have such an extensive backstory," I said briefly, as we had almost [[reached the temple->The Outer Temple]] by now.] (set: $Elderspeakerinfo to false)

We encountered a walled-in territory with an enormous structure at its center. It looked like a smaller version of the cathedral in the Great City of Andraste built with the light sandstone so typical for this area. The brighter tone made it appear less threatening than its big brother, yet nonetheless imposing. Behind the wall and right in front of the small cathedral a large prayer square was located. To both sides of the square lush green trees lined up, a rarity in this environment. There were about a hundred people kneeling on the square in tighlty organized rows. Each one had a knee on the ground and the other before them, as you would when exhibiting your servitude to a king or queen. A path in the middle was left empty. As we were following it along I noticed that only some of the praying were wearing the white and golden robes. Most of them were average citizens. Right about when we had reached a set of three steps leading towards the temple building, its enormous front doors opened. Antiochenes dragged his hammer towards the side and bowed his head. Unsure of what to do I followed him and copied his behavior. The shadow inside the building loomed for a bit before any movement was discernible. Eventually a man emerged from the darkness. He was middle-aged and had an angular face featuring stern eyes and a well-cut beard. His head was crowned by short white hair and his body was clad in white robes, which were bound tightly to his quite muscular body by various strings. Shortly before the small stairway down to the square he stopped and spread his arms. All praying citizens who had not already been doing so now layed their heads onto their upper knee. The whole temple area was reigned by silence. After a about ten minutes the man lowered his arms again. Then he kneeled down just like his audience. A strenous half an hour later Elder Speaker Esthen finally stood up and looked at us for the first time smiling in a friendly manner. He greeted us while descending the stairs towards us. "I have heard of two strangers entering the city from the desert equipped with barely any supplies. Your faith in the Elders must truly be strong." Esthen's eyes wandered from our faces and our outer appearances to Antiochenes's enormous hammer. "You are pilgrims, I assume?" Before I could say anything, [[Antiochenes stepped forward->NPC Diplomacy 1]].

Antiochenes stepped forward, stuck his free hand out and turned it around openly multiple times. I could only assume that it was some sort of greeting gesture. Esthen mustered him sternly and responded, "So you truly are one of the traditionalists, aren't you?" "I am indeed, honored Elder Speaker. My name is Antiochenes and I have come to you to talk about just that: our different interpretations of the Elder Faith." Esthen's pleasant smile grew brighter. Somewhat nervously and rather involuntarily my gaze snuck towards the Exabal praying on the square. I was relieved to see that none of them had moved or even looked up. "I understand that you might be reluctant to talk to us," Antiochenes continued as the brightening smile had been the Elder Speaker's only reaction so far, "but I assure you our intentions are true and guided by the Elders." Esthen lowered his head, "I do not doubt that for one second. My thoughts are only circling around the nature of your motivation for this visit. Would you care to tell me about the exact mission you recieved from the Order?" A pause followed. "None whatsoever. I am here of my own volition." That was when the Elder Speaker, though still smiling, adopted an outwardly suspicious look making it obvious to us that he had difficulties believing that. Trusting in Antiochenes's skills to convince his opponent [[I stayed quiet->NPC Diplomacy 2]]. [["Had he had the support of the Elders' Order, he surely wouldn't have had to cross the desert, by foot no less, to get here."->Support NPC motivation]] I said as I felt the need to testify to my companion's struggles.

"As you can tell by my prezima," Antiochenes lifted up the handle of his hammer a bit, "I follow the original interpretation of the faith, not that of the Order. Nevertheless I have nothing but respect for them and I do indeed count myself to their followers. However, I am here unbeknownst to them." "Is that so? I have of course heard of people practicing the 'original' belief. Tell me more about it." "I think we are meant to ascend to the Elders by planting the idea of peace in the core of the human mind, by becoming better than what we have been so far, a warring, violent and cruel people." "So your goals are the same as ours," Esthen interjected. "But our means are entirely different from one another, Elder Speaker. I renounce any violence while you embrace it." "We do not embrace violence, Antiochenes..." [["Your Exabal were trying to harm a person without any profound reason! How's that not embracing violence?"->Violence Exabal]] I interrupted him. Fascinated by the Elder Speaker's calm demeanour and the reasonalbe dialog between him and Antiochenes [[I kept listening patiently.->Violence Exabal]]

"You clearly do not know the Order very well, my friend. Besides...have you been with him all the way?", Esthen inquired immediately. Taken by surprise as of this sudden counter I was searching for words. After an uncomfortable moment of silence the Elder Speaker loughed out loud, "Don't worry! If this brother truly was sent by the Order he wouldn't have brought someone as spirited as you." I was not sure how to take this and thankfully Antiochenes stepped in before I could make up my mind about it, "As you can see on my prezima", he lifted up the handle of his hammer a bit, "I follow the original interpretation of the faith, not that of the Order. Nevertheless I have nothing but respect for them and I do indeed count myself to their followers. However, I am here unbeknownst to them." "Is that so? I have of course heard of people practicing the 'original' belief. Tell me more about it." "I think we are meant to ascend to the Elders by planting the idea of peace in the core of the human mind, by becoming better than what we have been so far, a warring, violent and cruel people." "So your goals are the same as ours," Esthen interjected. "But our means are entirely different from one another, Elder Speaker. I renounce any violence while you embrace it." "We do not embrace violence, Antiochenes..." [["Your Exabal were trying to harm a person without any profound reason! How's that not embracing violence?"->Violence Exabal]] I interrupted him. Fascinated by the Elder Speaker's calm demeanour and the reasonable dialog between him and Antiochenes [[I kept listening patiently.->Violence Exabal]]

"Violence is a tool." Elder Speaker Esthen took care to emphasize the last word. Then he continued, "A holy instrument we need to use in a strictly controlled but just as decisive manner. That is why we only admit the ones that are divinely gifted to fight - tested in a fight with our own exclusively - and who prove to be believers in their heart by devoting their lives to the fate and renouncing any possessions. They are the line that protect the weak from harm. They are the ones who preserve order. They are the ones who ensure the end of malicious violence as the mandate for violence, only used in a rightful and lawful way, lies with them and with them alone." [["That is nothing more than hairsplitting. A weak excuse for an oppressive system."->causes oppression]] I commented coldly. An interesting anti-thesis to my companion's way of thingking. [[I waited for Antiochenes's reaction to this.->Old in new clothes]]

The Elder Speaker looked at me compassionately, "Oppression is subjective, my friend. Isn't a city guard oppressive? Isn't a king? Isn't anybody who has some kind of power? Isn't any kind of institutionalized violence? Oppression is an easy word for anarchists to throw around but we are people actually trying to find a solution, trying to end violence. My standpoint is indeed one of control, to use a better word for it, I won't deny that. That is the basis I ground the use of violence upon." "It seems to me that [[the Exabal's usage of violence needs more control->more control]] than it is currently subjected to." [[I kept silent->Old in new clothes]] and let Antiochenes have the floor again. (set: $Oppressionopen to false)

Antiochenes responded, "Then you just reproduce what has been there for all of human existence. Violence will always beget more violence instead of ending it. This chain has to be broken at some point and the Elders show us how." "So the solution you are suggesting is to trust evil people to readily change their behavior once nobody defends anyone anymore?" Esthen's reaction was calm, although his voice betrayed some hints of sarcasm. Antiochenes ignored it and answered, "No, but evil is motivated by something or someone and tackling this motivation has the potential to sway them so they can see the error of their ways." The Elder Speaker began to smile like a proud parent would upon a great feat of their child as he apparently understood the motivation of Antiochenes coming here now. I, on the other hand, actually thought about arguing against Antiochenes at this point. (if: $Peaceful is true)[Yet, [[I kept silent->NPC Diplomacy 3]] as to see how the Elder Speaker would go about Antiochenes's argument.] [["What if an evil person is simply evil?"->pure evil?]], I interjected. (if: $Peaceful is false)[Yet, [[I kept silent->Confontation dark]] as to see how the Elder Speaker would go about Antiochenes's argument.]

"No man is truely evil," Antiochenes gave back, "Evil is always motivated by something. To condemn some people as completely and irreversably wicked would be inhuman in itself. Everybody deserves the benefit of assuming them being good at heart. They might have long running traumata driving them, deep seated feelings of hatred or they even might think they are doing something good," his eyes darted to Esthen just for a second, "but all these motivations can be discussed with them. One can convince them that there are other means to cope with their troubles than violent ones." (if: $Peaceful is true)[The Elder Speaker kept smiling. Although I was not satisfied by this answer, I could not come up with a proper response either. So [[I left the word to Esthen->NPC Diplomacy 3]].] (if: $Peaceful is false)[The Elder Speaker kept smiling. Although I was not satisfied by this answer, I could not come up with a proper response either. So [[I left the word to Esthen->Confontation dark]].]

"Thus means of course that you should not intervene when violence is happening right around you," Esthen eventually concluded. Antiochenes nodded, "Indeed. I am well aware that this does not concur with commonly accepted moral standards, but in the end it is for the greater good. The violence stops with every single one of us. That is what the Elders are trying to teach us." The Elder Speaker smiled, "Another man or woman I would accuse of cowardice for this argumentation but you have proven beyond a doubt that you are courageous. To think your interpretation through, however, would mean that you would also not oppose any physical harm done to yourself, true?" I paused for a moment. [[He was right->No self-defense]]. I was looking at Antiochenes, curiously awaiting his answer. [["There is a difference. If he dies, there is no-one to sway the perpetrators and lead them onto a better path."->origin finder must live]] I replied before Antiochenes could answer. (if: $NoSelfDefense is false)[Remembering Antiochenes's words I answered for him, [["The Elders demand everyone to defend themselves against threats to their lives."->Self-Defense sanctioned]]]

As it seemed Antiochenes had not accounted for something like this. He gazed at his hammer with empty eyes. Feebly he whispered, "The Elders demand us to defend our own lives against attacks." Esthen doubled down on it, "How come? How do you explain that your life seems to hold more worth than the lives of others, which you allowed to be snuffed out right in front of you? Shouldn't you refrain from violence just as much if it comes for you as you do if it comes for others?" Antiochenes's face was hard as stone again, but I recognized a minor detail in his expression that had not been there before: Uncertainty. He asked, "If I'd answer yes, would it convince you that there is another way to bring the will of the Elders to the people?" "Should you have to ask?" Antiochenes's face flushed for a split second and his eyes became erratic. It was obvious that Esthen had uncovered a flaw in his faith. And that at the worst time. Although I doubted my friend was capable of panicking, this was the closest to it I had ever seen him. He was afraid. Afraid of losing this argument. Afraid of the implications this flaw opened up. And lastly, I dared to assume, afraid of a violent death he could not defend himself against. Would Esthen actually put his words into practice, just to proove his point? "Wouldn't your faith already tell you the answer?", Esthen pursued. Antiochenes said nothing and a long pause followed. The Elder Speaker did not pressure him any further; instead he gave him some time to think until he eventually spoke up again. "It is alright, boy," Esthen said kneeling down, nothing like the religious leader anymore. He rather said it like a father would. "It is alright. You have committed yourself to a philosophy you have not thought through to the end. That happens to thousands out there in the world... There will be no harm done to you here. Your goal is a righteous one, only the path you chose went nowhere. We are all allowed to make mistakes." Antiochenes, whose gaze had wandered briefly to the ground, now raised his head and looked at me. Then he met Esthen's eyes head-on. With all the determination of this world and another he said, "What is my faith if I am not devoted enough to commit my very own life to it? So yes. Yes, I would even die for my believes, right here and right now!" Then he tossed his hammer aside. [[I said nothing.->No self-defense 2]] I was simply at a loss of words. (if: $Objection is false)["You cannot be serious..." I whispered, only to proceed seamlessly towards the brink of screaming, [["You cannot do this!"->Objection]]] (if: $Objection is true)["You cannot be serious..." I whispered, only to proceed seamlessly towards the brink of screaming, [["You cannot do this!"->Temple escalation]]] (set: $Roadto1 to true) (set: $Roadto2 to false)

The Elder Speaker looked at me with surprise. "Why?" I was a bit puzzled by the question. "Why can he defend himself but not others? Wouldn't that perpetuate violence just as much?" ... Esthen had a point there. [[I looked at Antiochenes->No self-defense]] queryingly.

"But only at first glance, my friend. It doesn't matter anymore once he himself has perpetuated the violence, albeit in self-defense. In fact, he would become very much part of the cycle. Thus, Antiochenes, I ask you: Would you die for your faith here and now without defending yourself?" [["Enough!"->Objection]] I exclaimed, "Stop playing games! This is not about Antiochenes, it is about you!" [["I will not let my friend be threatened."->Objection]] I barked at Esthen, clenching both my teeth and fists. There we were, at the ultimate test of Antiochenes's faith. It was his answer to give, so [[I stood down.->No self-defense]] (set: $Roadto1 to false)

Esthen, still kneeling, chuckled for a moment, apparently amused by the young man's stubborness. Then he put his hands on the shoulders of my companion and asked in the gravest manner, "Are you sure, Antiochenes? This is the ultimate decision you are making. I will not let you get away unscathed from this, so think hard. Should you not waver, I am going take you up on your word and you will be struck down for blasphemy." Clenching his fists and sharpening his gaze towards the Elder Speaker, the determined young man responded, "I have never been so sure of anything." Interestingly enough Esthen was now the one who seemed to lose his calm demeanour. His eyebrows began to move. First they formed an invastigative expression as if he was trying to make out a telltale sign that Antiochenes was bluffing; upon finding none they tightened up to project all of Esthen's anger onto his face. "Then may it be as it shall be. We will see what comes of it." Esthen rushed towards the silently praying audience agitatedly, "Exabal of the Elders, who is ready to proof their worth as an Elder Warrior? Step forward!" Every single figure wrapped in white robes and golden armor gathered in front of Esthen. They were not the only ones though. The other praying people began moving towards us as well. With some distance from the Exabal they formed a circle around us, curiously watching what would happen next. Esthen ignored them. "Kuratel," he said, "seize that boy." The Exabal woman did as she was told to. [[I looked at Antiochenes->The command]], trying to figure out myself if there was some grand plan or ingenious idea behind all this. (if: $Objection is false)[[["This is madness! There is nothing to be gained from his death!"->Objection]] I screamed.] (if: $Objection is true)[[["This is madness! There is nothing to be gained from his death!"->Temple escalation]] I screamed.] (set: $Roadto2 to true) (set: $Roadto3 to false)

Antiochenes's face was unreadable. Two iceblue eyes starred at Esthen betraying no doubt whatsoever. The Elder Speaker came up to Antiochenes and instructed him like a teacher educating an unruly child, "See reason, boy. Violence is not ended by simply not using it. The world does not work like that." Antiochenes face was forged with iron. Not a muscle did move. So Elder Speaker Esthen straightened himself and commanded, "Kill him." [[Shocked I starred at the scene.->Antiochenes's death]] I had to respect the decision of my friend, had I not? (if: $Objection is false)[[["No!"->Objection]] I exclaimed.] (if: $Objection is true)[[["No!"->Temple escalation]] I exclaimed.] (set: $Roadto3 to true) (set: $Roadto4 to false)

Esthen's attention darted towards me. "This is not up to you!" he said, his face now more serious than ever before. "Antiochenes has to decide on this and he alone!" "I will not stand down while you threaten him!" I protested. "You won't? But haven't you already done so before? Haven't you watched as others suffered before? Haven't you stepped aside in the face of violence on this very day, haven't you left people behind in their misery?" "What? How..." I began. "Do you think I do not know what is going on in my city? Oh, do not believe that I am not aware of your former inaction! How is this any differnt? Apart from the very fact that Antiochenes actually accepts his bane out of his own free will? Is Antiochenes really worth more action than others?" "I..." I did not know what to say. But the Elder Speaker was far from finished, "And what will you do, now, that you have so valiantly decided to act while others just wither in their own apathy?" the Elder Speaker asked, almost gloating. A strange silence was filling the whole square as he put me on the spot. When I failed to answer, Esthen approached me and hissed through gritted teeth, "Then. Stay. Silent!" Desperately I tried to read Antiochenes's expression. Apart from steely determination it was devoid of any message or emotion. [["I won't be silent no more!"->Temple escalation]] I said, looking the old man straight in the eyes with the most rebellious glare I could muster. (if: $Roadto1 is false)[Resisting a blazing urge to act, [[I looked to the ground without a word->No self-defense]].] (if: $Roadto2 is false)[Resisting a blazing urge to act [[I looked to the ground without a word->No self-defense 2]].] (if: $Roadto3 is false)[Resisting a blazing urge to act, [[I looked to the ground without a word->The command]].] (if: $Roadto4 is false)[Resisting a blazing urge to act, [[I looked to the ground without a word->Antiochenes's death]].] (set: $Objection to false)

Kuratel hesitated, "Are you sure this is the will of the Elders, Elder Speaker?" Esthen's expression darkened as he starred at her with barely concealed anger. Then he forcefully grabbed her sword, turned to Antiochenes and plunged it into his chest. My mind told me to look away but I simply could not. It started in his eyes. Just a few small drops from two blue springs were enough to shatter the stone beneath them. Indecisive if he should smile or cry he did both. The dying Antiochenes reminded me of a little boy who had broken his mother's vase and could not think of any way to put the pieces back together. Then he spat blood. His head slowly sunk on top of his chest. There it stayed, motionless, his body steadied only by the sword held by Esthen. My mind was unable to comprehend what had just happened. [[I just stood there->After death]] incapable of perceiving the world around me.

I came to my senses only a few minutes later. Kuratel was slowly laying down Antiochenes' corpse on the floor a few feet away, closed his eyes and looked at him mournfully; the bloody sword rested beside her. It was over. Antiochenes had done what he thought was right. I looked at his corpse. He seemed at peace. Meanwhile the crowd had dispersed and Elder Speaker Esthen was sitting lumped together on the temple's small staircase. He seemed exhausted and out of strength, yet his head was raised. He was looking towards the prayer square absent-mindedly. Without knowing exactly why, I went over to the old man and I sat down next to him. The Elder Speaker shortly directed his gaze towards me, then returned it to the square, which was now only populated by a few scattered people. No-one was praying anymore. With a somber voice Esthen asked, "'When have we become butchers instead of protectors?' I wonder." [["You could have asked yourself that question before killing my friend."->too late]] I replied with cold rage in my voice. I wondered what Antiochenes would have answered. [["Have you achieved what you wanted to achieve?"->Exabal questioned]] [["You always have been."->The harbor]] I coldly replied before I stood up, cast a last look at Antiochenes and then left this place. Forever.

"Could I?" He looked at me with his eyebrows raised before he directed his attention back to the emptiness of the square, "Maybe. I was unable to take a step back and see my actions for what they were. And certainly I did not see Antiochenes's actions for what they were." "He was far wiser than a boy of his age should have been," I agreed. "And I far too arrogant to recognize that. The Elders have spoken through him, I have no doubt of that now. He died for them, so we would see their true will. He became a martyr the same moment I realized that he would, the moment he died. It was an act not only of utter bravery, but of the firmest of faiths." I smiled in bitter irony. [["So it does not seem like violence was the correct means of dealing with this determined young man..."->Exabal questioned]] [["What now then?"->Consequences]] I asked, swallowing my emotions for the moment. I rose up. "You should have had these insights before you murdered my friend," I commented in an outburst of anger. Then [[I rushed off to finally leave this accursed city->The harbor]] only turning around once to cast a last glance at my dead friend.

Esthen chuckled sadly. "Quite the opposite, I'm afraid. While I thought I would prove your friend's conviction wrong, he lead me to question mine instead. I was so hellbent to call his bluff that I did not realize there was none. Now I have to live with the consequences." "Was he right then?" I asked. "I do not now. I still do not believe that not using any violence at all and confining oneself to simply sway the people responsible to change their ways is the solution and the wish of the Elders." I wanted to know more about these 'consequences', [["What will you do now?"->Consequences]] [["Antiochenes's method at least achieved that you are questioning your believes."->Consequences]] I remarked. Still filled with anger I retorted, "You have earned every little bit of self-doubt you are feeling. I hope it festers." [[I stood up and left without looking back->The harbor]].

The Elder Speaker's face grew dark and he remained silent for several minutes. I did not press him, because I could well imagine what he was thinking. "We did some good, too, you know? Peace has been restored in this city." "But at what price?" I asked. Esthen said nothing. There was nothing more to say. I stood up and returned to Kuratel and Antiochenes's corpse. "What are you going to do with him now?" "We will put him in the hall of the dead in the temple and at the end of the month he will be honorably burned along with the other dead." I nodded understandingly. I realized that I had no idea if that went along with his specific believes. All in all I did not know too much about that kid. Nonetheless, I was immensely sad to see that incurable idealist lying dead in front of me. "Thank you," I said and tried to copy Antiochenes's greeting gesture as best as I could, turning one open hand around multiple times. "You know what that means?" Kuratel wanted to know. "Unfortunately not," I admitted. "'I come before you with an open heart and an open mind.'" I smiled. I liked that. Then I looked around to find the hammer laying in the dust not far away. "You should take it with you," Kuratel suggested. "Why?" "I don't know. You just should." So I stood up and approached it. The hammer was even heavier than I had thought but I would manage. One last time I glanced at my friend, the broken Elder Speaker and the bloody sword on the ground. Then I walked back into the city and [[towards the harbor->The harbor]].

Gulls were squeaking and the waves were crushing against the shoreline as I reached the harbor. It was a sunny but mild day, which at the edge of the desert still meant quite hot. The first mate of one of two trade vessels currently anchored in Norn harbor agreed to take me on board until Querrin for what small amount of money I had left and manual labor on deck. Standing in front of the ship, a proud bark which had seen its best years ages ago, I looked at the sea behind it. The water was in a constant rush, no stillness, only waves rolling over each other. Not used to ships as I had spent my life in Andraste, a landlocked city if ever there was one, I struggled to get aboard the 'Cutting Crow'. I stayed there until we left in the evening. Upon departure I kept my gaze glued on the city for as long as it was in sight. It seemed as if its rustle and rush had died off. It carried more sadness than grandeur now for me and I had the impression the city itself was [[tired->Epilog]] of its inhabitants' ramblings and fear and violence.

The City of Norn had survived for a long time and it would survive for a long time still. Not so its inhabitants, however. After my journey to Querrin I spent several weeks in the city. During that time the Exabal in Norn dissolved, Esthen surrendered the title of Elder Speaker and went into exile. There were some power struggles among the Exabal but by the time they got heated most of the city's population had already left. They feared that either the old regime of crime and corruption would return or that some of the former Exabal would try to keep control by doubling down even harder on the citizens. No-one was sure which of the two options were less desirable. So they left. Norn was not able to sustain itself with a population that small; thus the rest either fled out of necessity, or died out of stubborness. Years later there would be attempts to repopulate the city... They all failed. People were scared. They believed the city to be cursed, calling it 'City of the Dead'. For my part, I was glad that Antiochenes's resting place remained undisturbed. He had earned such a monument, if only through the sheer obstinancy of his dedication; maybe even the Elders actually had their hand in it. And while [[Antiochenes's path had ended->A new beginning (Defaul $ 1)]], mine was just about to begin. I knew what I had to do now but I would have to do it alone, without any assistance this time. May the Elders guide me.

(set: $worthit to true) (set: $Whyhere to true) (set: $Wherefrom to true) (set: $WhyNorn to true) Sand. [[Sand everywhere.->Origin]] (set: $TheElders to true) (set: $NoSelfDefense to true) (set: $Trial3 to true) (set: $GreaterGood to true) (set: $TheHammer to true) (set: $RedStreetIntro to true) (set: $Elderspeakerinfo to true) (set: $TheExabal to true) (set: $Peaceful to true) Content warning [[here->Trigger Information]]. (set: $Objection to true) (set: $Roadto1 to true) (set: $Roadto2 to true) (set: $Roadto3 to true)

"The guard surprised me, indeed. I hope the rest of the city proves me wrong as well. We will find out soon enough," Antiochenes answered shortly. "Alright." My distrust ebbed away, for now. [["Let's go on then."->Red Street Intro Trial 1]] (if: $TheHammer is true)[There was still one thing bothering me. [["Why are you carrying around that giant hammer?->The Hammer]]] (if: $TheExabal is true)[That was not a satisfying answer in any regard. [["What do you mean by that? Who do you expect to be violent in this city?"->The Exabal]]]

Antiochenes looked at the heavy tool and said, "My belief is based on the conviction that any execution of violence is wrong. This hammer is a symbol of that. My journey was long and not always easy, my life before I found my faith anything but perfect." He put the hammer down, kneeled and opened the hammer's head. I took a look and saw that it was filled halfway with sand. "When I violate the rules of my faith, for example by defending myself, my sin becomes sand and my weight a heavier one to lift." "I understand," I responded. After this clarification there was nothing standing in the way of proceeding [[into the city->Red Street Intro Trial 1]] now. (if: $TheExabal is true)[ I decided to dig deeper,[["And from whom do you expect violence here?"->The Exabal]]] (set: $TheHammer to false)

"It's their admission ritual," Antiochenes explained, "A faithful citizen may ask to join the forces of the Exabal but has to defeat one of theirs to do so." "And they kill the loser?!" I exclaimed. Some heads turned towards me. "Quiet, my friend. As a matter of fact, this practice is not known to me. I do not think that they do this every time. Maybe only in public admissions or with especially promising candidates... I do not know. Whatever it may be, I think we should move on." The eyes of the bystanders were now glued on us; so I was quick to agree with Antiochenes and [[we returned to the fray on the main street->Trial 3]].

"In some ways they are. But their rights are broader and their methods are more rigid. It is better to not get in their way," Antiochenes said concisely, visibly unwilling to elaborate further. (if: $TheHammer is true and $RedStreetIntro is true)[I glanced at his giant accessoire. [["And the hammer? What's that for?"->The Hammer]]] (if: $RedStreetIntro is true)[As he had already answered my inquiries quite extensively, it seemed the time to continue our walk [[into the city->Red Street Intro Trial 1]].] (if: $Elderspeakerinfo is true)[I was interested in that Elder Speaker figure. [["Tell me more about the Elder Speaker of Norn."->Elder Speaker Info]]] (if: $RedStreetIntro is false)["I see," I commented shortly, knowing the type from the overseers in the Great City of Andraste. Thinking back I was relieved when [[the temple came into full view->The Outer Temple]] and distracted me from my memories.]

"Not through violence, no. The 'weak', if you want to divide people into such classes, are only ever save once violence has been ended permanently. That is the goal I am trying to achieve and that is why I plan to talk to the Elder Speaker to convince him of that as well." (if: $Elderspeakerinfo is true)["And [[that Elder Speaker->Elder Speaker Info]]," I continued, "who is he?" He seemed like the key figure in all this.] ["But aren't the Exabal actually nothing more than [[glorified guards->Like Guards?]]?" I inquired, referring back to our original topic.] (if: $RedStreetIntro is true)[Antiochenes pressed on [[into the city->Red Street Intro Trial 1]].] (if: $RedStreetIntro is false)[It would be interesting to see how the Elder Speaker reacted to Antiochenes's point of view. I would soon find out as [[we were drawing closer to the temple->The Outer Temple]].] (if: $TheHammer is true and $RedStreetIntro is true)[My eyes fell onto his hammer again. [["So the hammer is not intended for violent means, I guess?->The Hammer]]]

The man looked at me, obviously surprised someone would ask this, "Well, she has not payed tributes for three days, which means that she is not contributing to the community. The Exabal are maintaining order in this city and the tribute is our way of thanking them for doing so. It is not even that high either. She should have just asked someone to lend it to her but was probably too proud to do so. It's her first offense, so the reparationist will only give her a small burn mark to the throat to let everyone know she has failed to support them." "Thank you," I said, already paying attention to the scene again. Although the man seemed to think otherwise, publicly shaming someone by burning a mark onto their skin was not something I would just wave off. So [[I stepped in->Pick your battles]]. It was a horrible punishment but, admittedly, I had feared worse. Weighing off the options, I finally bit my lip and decided to [[ignore my urge to intervene->Pause 1 (Berry time)]] and rejoined the main street's stream of people together with Antiochenes.

Our eyes locked and the sword glinted as it cut through the warm air. I realized that this would be my last moments on Gaia. What had I been thinking? There had not been a huge array of possibile consequences for stepping in this way. In fact, there was only one and I could have been foresightful enough to see it. Would my death even make a difference? Probably not. Probably I had only heightened the chances of the white robes killing the man... Nevertheless I would do it again...it was the right thing to do. I hoped the Elders or whoever awaited me on the other side would see it the same way...The blade rushed down onto me. The impact caused a shattering thud. At first I thought my brain had blocked out the pain but then I realized that I had not actually been hit. The sword had sunken halfway into the handle of Antiochenes's hammer. Its bearer had brought it between me and the blade just in time. My companion's eyes were iron, his face like a mask made from stone and his body now revealed tenacious muscles underneath its lean appearance. The Exabal's face darkened while she proclaimed stating with a voice full of wrath, carefully pronouncing every word, "This. Will. Not. Stand!" The Exabal woman pried free the sword from the hammer's handle and immediately came at Antiochenes. [[He defended himself.->Fight]]

Eagerly she plunged at the young man. He easily avoided her by stepping to the side. As she turned around he pointed the hammer defensivley towards her and shouted, "Let us stop this! I apologize for my friend's behavior!" The woman did not care about his plea and readied herself in a more professional manner to attack once again. Antiochenes parried her quick thrust, leading it astray with the handle; then he used the momentum and brought down the hammer's head on hers, not forcefully enough to crush it but nevertheless knocking her out immediately. Before Antiochenes could try to calm things down once more, he was surrounded by white robes, two of them instantly lunging at him. He took a step back, readying himself for their attack, his hammer firmly at his side. When they were within reach a second later, he thrust his weapon up to block both of their swords. Agile as a panther he let go of the hammer, dove beneath it and pushed his elbow into one stomach and his foot into the other. Within the blink of an eye the hammer in Antiochenes's hands again for him to bring its handle down hard onto the backs of the men, who were still trying to recover from his previous blows. Their bodies had not even hit the ground when he stepped up to another attacker who was getting in too close for her to effectively carrying out a prepared swing. He on the other hand was very much prepared as he held the hammer close to its head to ram it into her side just beneath the rib chage. Desparately gasping for air she collapsed to the ground. Out of a twisted sense of empathy I drew a deep breath myself. That was when I thought about taking actions myself. Yet, what could I do? I did not have any combat training whatsoever. Thus the only reasonable thing to do right now seemed to stay out of my companions's way. All my decisions have brought me to this point; for now I was condemned to watch how the consequences of my actions unfolded. Observing Antiochenes, I felt helpless and deeply irritated. The vicious fighter in front of me broke deeply with the image of the controlled and friendly boy I had become used to. How was this possible? It seemed like the hammer was just another one of his body parts, a hammer I could probably never even lift, let alone swing. He appeared not to be fighting with a group of Exabal using his enormous tool but rather dance with the hammer, while knocking down one white robed figure after the other was only part of the choreography. The hammer was on Antiochenes shoulders in one moment, where he used it to ram it into a face to his side, and in another he repurposed the momentum from a previous move to swing it around in a circle while letting himself fall to the ground as to break several legs around him. He had just gotten up again and braced himself for the next opponent when a tall Exabal woman, whose hair fell down her back in tight knots, shouted, [["All Exabal! Stand down!"->Escorted to temple]] (set: $Peaceful to false)

All Exabal halted their movements at once; their eyes nervously flicked from Antiochenes to the woman and back. "You," she said adressing Antiochenes, "we will cease all current combat actions against you and any others present. However, you and your friend are going to come with us to the Elder Speaker to be judged for your deeds. Agreed?" From my point of view we did not have much of a choice. How many Exabal could Antiochenes defeat before they would eventually overpower him? Antiochenes visibly relaxed and answered, "Agreed. Thank you." I wondered if Antiochenes had consented because he had come to a similar conlusion as I or if he had simply grasped the opportunity to end the violence. Maybe both. The Exabal surrounding us only hesitantly sheathed their weapons while Antiochenes and I collected ourselves and our things in silence. Still shaken by what I had witnessed I repeatedly stole glances at my companion. Antiochenes had opened the hammer's head and was kneeling down scraping hard-packed sand from the ground to fill it into his hammer. One of the white robes was trying to intervene but the tall woman stopped him wordlessly and allowed Antiochenes to carry on. Once we were ready to go, the Exabal formed a wall around us shielding us from any interactions with the citizens of Norn. I considered questioning Antiochenes about what had just happened. My head was exploding with thoughts. In the end, though, I decided to keep them to myself and let my companion have some moments of rest. Thus [[we walked to the temple quietly->To the temple dark]]. [["What happened back there?->Fight described"]] I blurted out forgetting all self-restraint. Although my mind was still in disarray I managed to formulate a question: [["How were you able to fight like this?"->Fight explained]] (if: $TheHammer is true)[While I was more than just confused by Antiochenes's feats I was currently even more interested in the sand ritual. So I asked, [["What's up with the sand in your hammer?"->Sand ritual]]] When I threw a glance at Antiochenes he was looking down at the ground with an empty stare to him. That's when I realized that I had just forced him to abandon his principles. So the first thing I said was a somber [["I am really sorry... Thank you for saving me."->Excuse response]]

We encountered a walled-in territory with an enormous structure at its center. It looked like a smaller version of the cathedral in the Great City of Andraste built with the light sandstone so typical for this area. The brighter tone made it appear less threatening than its big brother, yet nonetheless imposing. Behind the wall and right in front of the small cathedral a large prayer square was located. To both sides of the square lush green trees lined up, a rarity in this environment. There were about a hundred people kneeling on the square in tighlty organized rows. Each one had a knee on the ground and the other before them, as you would when exhibiting your servitude to a king or queen. A path in the middle was left empty. As we were following it along I noticed that only some of the praying were wearing the white and golden robes. Most of them were average citizens. Right about when we had reached a set of three steps leading towards the temple building, its enormous front doors opened. Our group went towards the side and bowed their heads, Antiochenes included. Unsure of what to do I copied their behavior. The shadow inside the building loomed for a bit before any movement was discernible. Eventually a man emerged from the darkness. He was middle-aged and had an angular face featuring stern eyes and a well-cut beard. His head was crowned by short white hair and his body was clad in white robes, which were bound tightly to his quite muscular body by various strings. Shortly before the small stairway down to the square he stopped and spread his arms. All praying citizens who had not already been doing so now layed their heads onto their upper knee. The whole temple area was reigned by silence. After a about ten minutes the man lowered his arms again. Then he kneeled down just like his audience. A strenous half an hour later Elder Speaker Esthen finally stood up and looked at us for the first time smiling in a friendly manner. He greeted us while descending the stairs towards us. "I have heard of two strangers entering the city from the desert equipped with barely any supplies. Your faith in the Elders must truly be strong." Esthen's eyes wandered from our faces and our outer appearances to Antiochenes's enormous hammer. "You are pilgrims, I assume?" Before I could say anything, [[Antiochenes stepped forward->NPC Diplomacy dark]].

"An Exabal attacked you," Antiochenes said. He was exhausted, not physically but rather emotionally, like a father who had explained something to his child over and over, yet they still did not understand. "And I defended you," he added whispering, more to himself than to me. [["Yeah, I got that part. But how did you do that?"->Fight explained]], I pressed on. Immediately remorse washed over me and I paused shortly before I apologized, "[[I'm sorry that you had to break your vows.->Excuse response]] I know that your faith ordered you to stand down. For what it's worth, I am very grateful that you helped me." I was ashamed. Maybe I shouldn't have intervened. Antiochenes had sacrificed his values because of me. It seemed better to [[leave him be for the rest of the way->To the temple dark]].

Antiochenes said nothing for a while. Just when I wanted to speak up again he preempted me, "It is faith, nothing more. Whatever I do, all of the Elders' will flows into it. I am focused on a single task, fully devoted to it. Divine determination imbued on a mere human body. That is how I am able to cross a desert on foot, how I am able to defeat thirteen Exabal warriors and hopefully how I will be able to sway the Elder Speaker, although that is going to be considerably more difficult now." [["You mean all you have to do is believe firmly enough and you can achieve superhuman feats?"->Nothing superhuman]] I asked in disbelief. I did not know what to make of that kid. In one moment he seemed incredibly naive, in another his words made sense. From a certain perspective. Somehow. With these thoughts still on my mind [[we reached the temple->To the temple dark]]. (if: $Excuseresponse is true)[[["Yeah...Sorry about that."->Excuse response]] I replied somewhat embarrassed.] (if: $TheHammer is true)[I left it at that. Yet, something else was bothering me. [[You put sand into your hammer's head. Why?"->Sand ritual]]] (set: $Fightexplained to false)

Antiochenes threw a quick glance at the hammer he was dragging along and then explained, "The principles of belief are our highest goals. To achieve them I regard as my divine duty. Principles like living without possession or not to harm anyone. Yet, as humans we can only constantly strive towards these goals and at least before finding to the Elder Faith, and often afterwards as well, we are imperfect. We violate these principles, if intentionally or not, if for good reason or not. It is shameful but we still violate them. I am no exception." He paused shortly. "Yet, we always have to strive to become better than we were. To remind us of our past sins we drag them along with us. The more sins we commit the heavier their weight is to bear." Our eyes locked for a moment, then he stared at the road again. I wondered how much sand exactly was already in that hammer and what former deeds had brought it in there in the first place. Out of courtesy, I kept these considerations to myself and did not ask. [I was unsure if I was disrupting Antiochenes's thoughts with my questioning, so I decided to [[not bother him any further->To the temple dark]] for now.] (if: $Excuseresponse is true)[Now I felt an aching guilt about him having to resort to violence to save me earlier. [["I am sorry that you had to fill it up further because of me.->Excuse response]]] (if: $Fightexplained is true)[Considering how heavy the hammer probably was with all the sand in it, it baffled me even more how Antiochenes had been able to wield it so effortlessly against those Exabal. [["Antiochenes, if you don't mind me asking: How were you able to fight and move like you did before?->Fight explained]]] (set: $TheHammer to false)

"What is done is done," Antiochenes answered defeatedly without looking at me. I waited for more but he remained silent. I felt uncomfortable and pondered about trying to talk to him again. I decided against it. He seemed beaten up enough as it was. So [[we walked alongside one another wordlessly->To the temple dark]]. (if: $TheHammer is true)[[["Hey, why did you put sand into your hammer?"->Sand ritual]] I asked in an attempt to change the subject.] (if: $Fightexplained is false)[Eventually I came to the conclusion that the events had not been entirely on me. "Look, I am really sorry, but [[I did not really expect you to rush in like this. I was not even remotely aware you could do...this.->Fight explained]]] (set: $Excuseresponse to false)

"There is nothing superhuman about it. It is simple determination." Antiochenes smiled at me sympathetically, obviously not actually expecting me to understand or even believe him. "Most people think of things like these as impossible but the Elders guide us on our way to our own perfection." Then his expression grew darker once again and he stared back at the ground, "I, however, betrayed them when I used this determination to hurt others." I was not sure how to handle Antiochenes in his current state. He seemed worn out. Maybe it was best to simply [[stay silent->To the temple dark]]. (if: $TheHammer is true)[His last sentence made my stomach ache with remorse. Then I suddenly had a hunch, [["Is that why you put sand into your hammer?"->Sand ritual]]] (if: $Excuseresponse is true)[Frustration had built up within me. "[[You did nothing wrong, Antiochenes!->Excuse response]] These people were about to kill me! All you did was protecting someone. For my part, I thank you for doing that, even if it meant hurting others."] (if: $Excuseresponse is true)[I bit my lip. [["Why would you help me, if you regret it so much now?"->Excuse response]] I eventually asked.]

Antiochenes stepped forward, stuck his free hand out and turned it around openly multiple times. I could only assume that it was some sort of greeting gesture. Esthen mustered him sternly and responded, "So you truly are one of the traditionalists, aren't you?" "I am indeed, honored Elder Speaker. My name is Antiochenes and I have come to you to talk about just that: our different interpretations of the Elder Faith." Esthen's pleasant smile grew brighter. Somewhat nervously and rather involuntarily my gaze snuck towards the Exabal praying on the square. I was relieved to see that none of them had moved or even looked up. "I understand that you might be reluctant to talk to us," Antiochenes continued as the brightening smile had been the Elder Speaker's only reaction so far, "but I assure you our intentions are true and guided by the Elders." Esthen lowered his head, "I do not doubt that for one second. My thoughts are only circling around the nature of your motivation for this visit. Would you care to tell me about the exact mission you recieved from the Order?" A pause followed. "None whatsoever. I am here of my own volition." That was when the Elder Speaker, though still smiling, adopted an outwardly suspicious look making it obvious to us that he had difficulties believing that. Trusting in Antiochenes' skills to convince his opponent [[I stayed quiet->NPC Diplomacy 2]]. [["Had he had the support of the Elders' Order, he surely wouldn't have had to cross the desert, by foot no less, to get here."->Support NPC motivation]] I said as I felt the need to testify to my companion's struggles.

"This means of course that you should not intervene when violence is happening right in front of you. That is, however, exactly what you did. Would you explain that to me?" the Elder Speaker responded, visibly happy about this argument. Not in a victorious kind of way but rather genuinely interested in where it would lead. Antiochenes cast a quick look to me and our eyes met for a short moment; there was nothing I could read from them whatsoever. "A mistake," Antiochenes replied, "Indeed, I should not have perpetuated the violent circle and I feel ashamed for having done so." Esthen's eyebrows rose. He turned to me, "So, how do you feel about this? Do you think your companion should not have protected you?" Taken by surprise to suddenly be the center of the conversation, I did not know what to say. At first. "I respect Antiochenes's faith but it is not mine. [[I think one should intervene when injustice occurs->Sword to the throat int]] and for my part I am very grateful that he did help me." [["I think Antiochenes is right."->Sword to the throat apa]] I answered, fully realizing that it meant he should not have helped me earlier. (if: $Oppressionopen is true)["Of course. It is the right thing to do. [[Am I the only one who thinks there is a way between doing nothing and oppressing others?->Oppression Danger]]"] (if: $Controlledviolenceopen is true)["Being honest, I do not see a way completely without violence, but [[violence has to be better controlled->violence needs more control]] than it currently is in this city."]

"Thank you," Esthen said and turned towards the Exabal woman who had stopped our fight in the city, "Kuratel." The Elder Speaker nodded at me causing the woman to draw her sword and approach me. "What are you doing?!" I exclaimed. "What do you think? As you said yourself, violence is sometimes necessary to protect others from harm. Well, your intervention should have been punished by death. It still should, now even more than before. I am sorry, my friend, but you are not above the law. Our authority must be respected, otherwise there is nothing left but chaos, and we will not allow this city to fall back into its former anarchy." "You are twisting the words in my mouth!" I shouted. "Enough," Esthen said. Then he briefly turned towards Antiochenes, hissing, "Now you can prove that you are as serious about your views as you say." Kuratel stepped behind me and put her blade to my throat. Antiochenes's grip around his hammer tightened, his muscles tensed up. I had a split-second to decide: Should I ask him for help, forcing him to sacrifice his principles? Or should I simply, definitely, accept my fate? "[[Please, help me!->Inferno]]" "[[Don't.->Player Sacrifice]]"

Antiochenes said nothing and Esthen laughed out loud, "It could be that easy, couldn't it?" He looked at me sympathically, "Oppression just as much as doing nothing is subjective, my friend. Your companion never said he'd do nothing. Instead he would very much act against violence, yet, without participating in it, which is by all means a valid standpoint. As for oppression: Isn't a city guard oppressive? Isn't a king? Isn't anybody who has some kind of power? Oppression is an easy word for anarchists to throw around but we are people actually trying to find a solution, trying to end violence. My standpoint is indeed one of control,to use a better word for it, I won't deny that. Yet, that is the core of our discussion, as you might have failed to understand. So, to rephrase: Do you believe in controlled violence, although it might be to your disadvantage, that is to say your death, or do you think you can root out violence by convincing those responsible of a better way?" Antiochenes looked at me, his face displaying curiousity and a bit of fear. In the long run, as it now dawned on me, Antiochenes's way might be the only long-lasting one. "I think..." I started, barely believing what I was about to say, [["Antiochenes should not have intervened."->Sword to the throat apa]] I looked at my companion sadly. The Elder Speaker was right. Order could only be maintained through controlled violence. "I'm sorry, Antiochenes," I said, "[[I agree with the Elder Speaker.->Sword to the throat int]]" (if: $Controlledviolenceopen is true)["I think Antiochenes was right to save me and ultimately I think [[controlled violence is the best path to follow, yes. However, the violence here seems far from controlled->violence needs more control]]."]

"Then, as you say, Antiochenes was wrong to support you as you obstructed Exabal business earlier. I say, let us right this wrong, here and now," Esthen stated coldly. He nodded towards the Exabal woman who had stopped our fight in the city, "Kuratel." She drew her sword and approached me. "What are you doing?!" I exclaimed. "What do you think? Your intervention should have be punished by death. You yourself said, that Antiochenes was wrong to intervene. We will make up for it on this very spot as neither you, nor anybody else is above the law. Our authority must be respected, otherwise there is nothing left but chaos, and we will not allow this city to fall back into its former anarchy." "That's twisting the words in my mouth! I did not agree with my death sentence!" I shouted. "Enough," Esthen said. Then he briefly turned towards Antiochenes, hissing, "Now you can prove that you are as serious about your views as you say." Kuratel stepped behind me and put her blade to my throat. Antiochenes's grip around his hammer tightened, his muscles tensed up. I had a split-second to decide: Should I ask him for help, forcing him to sacrifice his principles, or should I accept my fate? "[[Please, help me!->Inferno]]" "[[Don't.->Player Sacrifice]]"

"Well, there will always be different opinions on tone and manner of how to do something." Esthen looked at the Exabal woman who had stopped our fight in the city and who took care not to return his case. "Yet, that is my burden to bear. After all, only decisive action will establish and maintain order." "I suppose it might be harder on the ones being judged." My sarcastic comment was not very diplomatic but I did not care much. "Show some respect," Antiochenes reprimanded me. "It is alright," Esthen said, raising a hand, "but I am the Elder Speaker after all." "And that gives you the power to decide over life and death?" I pushed it further. "It does," the Exabal woman and Antiochenes said unisono. The Elder Speaker smiled his fatherly smile at me. "Listen, I understand your doubts. My methods might seem cruel to an outsider but they have proven their worth. This city was once a den of iniquity. It has become the orderly place it is today through the Exabal and me. The people here are hardened. A severed hand will not stop someone from stealing again. Imprisonment is not affordable in our current situation. You might not like them but these methods are in the interest of this society. Be that as it may, we have strayed from the core of our discussion. Are you still in agreement with my opinion that protecting the weak requires violence, although you might not agree with the form it takes, or do you share Antiochenes's point of view?" I sighed and pondered. "Yes, I still think [[violence is necessary to fight violence->Sword to the throat int]]." "[[Antiochenes is right.->Sword to the throat apa]] This cannot go on forever, especially if violent methods are as extreme as yours." (set: $Controlledviolenceopen to false)

The blade did not even touch me. One moment Antiochenes was standing right in front of me, then he was gone, flown behind me in his attack on Kuratel. She might have expected him to fight but she did not expect his speed. It exceeded everything from the skirmish in the city. Within moments all the Exabal standing around us were engaged in combat with Antiochenes and he with all of them. Even more were coming in from the prayer square. In the most unnatural and seemingly inhuman way Antiochenes's hammer rushed through the air like a scythe through wheat. Before, Antiochenes had cautiously taken care to not fatally wound anyone. This barrier had fallen now. Heads, limbs and whole bodies were crushed when being hit by the enormous, unrelenting hammer. Catching a glimpse of Antiochenes in the swirl of bodies, whirling dust and cries of agony and rage, I shuddered. In his dance in the city Antiochenes had wielded the hammer with masterful control. Now the power relations seemed reversed. The hammer lead and the boy followed, serving only as a kinetic medium. His eyes were still filled with the same determination but all warmth had vanished and what was left was stone-cold efficiency. At this point it dawned on me. Raising his weapon again, here of all places, had set all chances of a peaceful solution of this conflict at naught. It was a point of no return and now Antiochenes was at a dead end. The boy's single goal now was to protect me, the innocent. No, [[the weak->The perfect Exabal]].

I had become entangled in a conflict I had never even heard about, that I did even now only partly understand. Despite this, despite never even wanting to, I was now bearing some responsibility in how it was evolving. Maybe facing death now was me finally accepting this responsibility, maybe it was only my way of getting rid of that responsibility. Had Antiochenes actually got through to me? Was he right? Maybe. Was it unfair that I had to sacrifice everything myself and others have fought for, my very freedom, my life, to stand in for what I deemed to be right? Also maybe. Eventually, it did not matter much to me anymore anyway. The blood felt warm as it ran down my throat only to be briefly stopped by the notch between my shoulders; then, when it spilled over, it spread across my chest like the roots of a crimson tree. Like stepping into the wind after a bath, however, I dreaded the cold that would surely follow. That is why I desperately tried to keep my eyes open for as long as I could. The sheer view of the sun gave me some comforting illusion of safety. That was until Antiochenes blocked my view. His lips moved, yet I could not discern what he was saying, if he was saying anything at all. My best efforts to see the sun again were all for naught. I had lost control. All decisions were made, all paths walked. Had I made a difference? I would never know. I hoped it, though, as [[the cold and the darkness finally caught up to me->A new beginning (Defaul $ 1)]].

Starring at the chaos unfolding right in front of me, I heard a voice beside me. "You have done it." Esthen was standing closely by, looking at the fight, "He is the perfect Exabal." His gaze turned towards me, first with cold contempt, then, suddenly, with shock on his face. "Don't!" he screamed. Once I turned around it was already too late. The sword of a wounded, furious Exabal soldier who had found in me an easier target for his battle rage than the seemingly superhuman Antiochenes, had penetrated my stomach. Its wielder looked me in the eyes, happy to satisfy some of his bloodlust. "What have you done, you foolish madman?!" I heard Esthen shout, coming at him furiously. My vision blurred and eventually [[everything faded to black->Inferno wake]].

The first thing I noticed as I regained consciousness was the smoke in my nostrils. My stomach still hurt, even worse than before and I felt weak; I had probably lost quite an amount of blood. As I forced my eyes open, the first thing they fell on was my still sipping wound; my clothes were soaked and a puddle of blood had formed around me. Next to me lay the Exabal who had stabbed me, dead. I raised my head as far as I could and saw Antiochenes standing in the middle of countless dead bodies. He only stood there, his shoulders hanging, his hammer loosly in one hand, starring at the ground. Only now I realized that the smell of smoke came from a sea of flames engulfing the temple behind Antiochenes. Barley able to speak through the smoke of the fire and the pain from my wound, I croaked weakly at the broken boy. [["I'm bleeding...Help. Please."->No help]] [["Where's Esthen?"->Esthen's end]] [["Why's the temple burning"->Inferno story]] [["Where're the other Exabal?"->Civil war]] [["Are you alright?"->Not alright]]

"A group of people came here some time ago screaming 'Fight the Exabal' or something. They had weapons and torches. Some Exabal tried to stop them, they fought. In the end somebody set the temple on fire." "Didn't you do anything?" I asked. Ignoring me Antiochenes continued, "You know, who was among them?" For a moment he smiled a bitter smile. "The friendly guard from the city entrance." [["Are you alright?"->Not alright]] [["I need to tend to my wound. Could you help me?"->No help]] [["I'm sorry, Antiochenes."->Sorry]] (if: $Civilwar is true)[[["Are all the Exabal...dead?"->Civil war]]] (if: $Esthensend is true)[[["Where was Esthen when all this happened?"->Esthen's end]]] (set: $Infernostory to false)

Antiochenes nodded at something a few feet away from me. Between some dead Exabal lay Esthen's body. "Someone killed him," Antiochenes said absent-mindedly. "What?! Who?" "I don't know." I tried to remember. Esthen had stormed towards the man who had attacked me. Why? He had talked about Antiochenes being a perfect Exabal... Of course. Using violence to protect me. For even a chance to convince Antiochenes that his philosophy worked, that violence can save people, I had to survive; otherwise all violence Antiochenes had exacted to protect me would have been for naught. Nobody would have been saved by him following Exabal methods. As for how he died, I could not be sure. Maybe my attacker's bloodlust had not been stilled yet. Maybe he had simply been a casualty of a stray sword swing in all the fighting. It did not matter. He was dead. [["Would you help me? I am bleeding."->No help]] [["What about you? Are you hurt?"->Not alright]] [["All this has taken a very dark turn. I'm sorry."->Sorry]] (if: $Civilwar is true)[[["What about the rest of the Exabal?"->Civil war]]] (if: $Infernostory is true)[[["Why is the temple in flames?"->Inferno story]]] (set: $Esthensend to false)

"No." [["What do you mean, 'no'?"->Player to blame]] [["Isn't anybody else here? Where are all the Exabal?"->Civil war]] [["What is up with you? Where is Esthen?"->Esthen's end]] [["Look...I'm...I'm really sorry all this happened. I really am. But this is not on you or me."->Player to blame]] (if: $Notalright is true)[[["Are you alright?"->Not alright]]] (set: $Nohelp to false)

"Some fled, some fought. All of them are either dead or they ran off into the city. It seems the former crime syndicates have stirred up a rebellion." My eyes grew wide as I heard that. Then I looked at Antiochenes in confusion. "Aren't you gonna do something about it?" I asked. "No." [["Are you alright?"->Not alright]] [["I'm sorry that it all escalated so drastically."->Sorry]] (if: $Esthensend is true)[[["Has Esthen fled to the city, too?"->Esthen's end]]] (if: $Infernostory is true)[[["And the temple? Who set it on fire?"->Inferno story]]] (set: $Civilwar to false)

No reaction. "Antiochenes?" "I am not alright. And I am not going to be ever again." He took a deep breath. The smoke did not seem to bother him much. "We have doomed this city. It was certainly problematic before but people could live here. Now it all burns." [["Neither of us is responsible for this, Antiochenes. All we did was try to help."->Player to blame]] [["I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry..."->Sorry]] (if: $Nohelp is true)[[["We should get out of here. Then we'll sort this all out. Help me get up."->No help]]] (set: $Notalright to false)

"Sorry," Antiochenes whispered, "Sorry is not enough. Your actions have led to this. To dead bodies piling up around us, to people killing each other, to the city in flames." [["You put this on me?! I haven't killed anybody!"->Claim innocence]] [["This city has obviously been a powder keg long before we even arrived!"->Claim independent conflict]] [["How could I have possibly foreseen this?"->Claim unforseeable consequences]] (if: $Esthensend is true)[[["Why is this happening? Where is Esthen?"->Esthen's end agr]]] (if: $Civilwar is true)[[["Who is killing who? Why is the city in flames?->Civil war agr]]]

"Look around you!" Antiochenes suddenly shouted and gestured at the bodies and the temple and the city. "You are responsible for this. You have done what you deemed right with complete disregard to the consequences and this is where it has brought us. An Elder Speaker is dead, the temple is in flames and there is civil war!" [["You put this on me?! I have not killed anybody! I have not set that fire! I did not tell anybody to start a war!"->Claim innocence]] [["This city has obviously been a powder keg long before we even arrived!"->Claim independent conflict]] [["How could I have possibly foreseen this?"->Claim unforseeable consequences]] (if: $Esthensend is true)[[["What do you mean?! Esthen is dead?"->Esthen's end agr]]] (if: $Civilwar is true)[[["Civil war? What are you talking about?"->Civil war agr]]] (if: $Infernostory is true)[[["Why is the temple in flames?"->Inferno story agr]]]

"Your actions have consequences, whether you want to take responsibility for them or not," Antiochenes responded with cold bitterness in his voice. "Your intervention has caused this, everything, all the violence around you. Of course I am not innocent either but at least I do not claim to be." "My actions? Yes, I did what I thought was right. But you always had a choice just as much as I did and [[you decided to help me instead of following your beliefs. Yet, you refuse to see that your principles are obviously deeply flawed and instead you blame it all on me->Belief flawed]] so you don't have to question your own deeds and what has motivated them!" "You are right. I have intervened. And I did it without raising even a fist. What about you, though? [[I never asked you to use violence to help me and yet you did, out of your own volition.->violent interventions]]" "That is true... [[I should have acted differently...->What now]] But what do I do now?"

"And you were the spark that caused it all to explode... We could have learned of the conflict from Esthen and deescalated it. We could have gotten all factions to talk. We could have established true peace. Now it all stands in flames. You cannot claim innocence because there was conflict before. Although I might not have known how deep the animosities truly run, I was here specifically because of the obvious problems this city had and you actively decided to accompany me to this temple. We were the ones that had the power of actually making a change. And we did. You did. All the wrong way." Antiochenes looked at Esthen's dead body. "Maybe this is an escalation of my simple desire to help and I accept that. Yet, you stepped in and protected me when I did what I deemed right. [[You came to my aid instead of following your believes.->Belief flawed]] Your actions speak louder than your words. But instead of acknowledging that, you cling to your oh so impeccable believes and blame it all on me." "I stand by what I have done. I threw myself before an innocent, ready to live with the consequences or die in their wake. Yet, never have I even defended myself. No, [[you perpetuated the violence->violent interventions]] and only you. Maybe it is time you faced that!" "I..I have doomed this city. [[I should have listened to you.->What now]] I don't know what to do..."

"Are you sure about that? Or is that just what you are telling yourself, so you do not have to deal with the responsibility?" I was at a loss of words. Antiochenes looked me straight in the eyes, traces of anger and bitterness in his gaze; emotions I had never associated with him. "Was it not obvious that an intervention would lead to violence? And violence always begets more violence! I bear a heavy part of that guilt myself, yes. I came to your aid when you where in trouble due to your actions. Against my beliefs I defended you in your follies and look where we are now. Look around you... At least I am taking some responsibility for it." "Have you ever thought about what you are saying? You decided to help me! Doesn't that tell you something? [[Your philosophy is deeply flawed and you know it.->Belief flawed]] Nevertheless you protect it at all costs, so afraid that you might have been wrong all this time, using me as a scapegoat to blame it all on!" "Yes, I intervened and I would do it again. But [[I never used violence and I never asked you to do so.->violent interventions]] That was your choice and your's alone." "Maybe you are right, [[maybe it was all my fault...->What now]] What now then? Are you gonna let me die here?"

Antiochenes looked at something a few feet away from me. Between some dead Exabal lay Esthen's body. "Someone killed him," Antiochenes said. "What?! Who?" "I don't know." I tried to remember. Esthen had stormed towards the man who had attacked me. Why? He had talked about Antiochenes being a perfect Exabal... Of course. Using violence to protect me. For even a chance to convince Antiochenes that his philosophy worked, I had to survive; otherwise all violence Antiochenes had exacted to protect me would have been for naught. Nobody would have been saved by him following Exabal methods. As for how he died, I could not be sure. Maybe my attacker's bloodlust had not been stilled yet. Maybe he had simply been a casualty of a stray sword swing in all the fighting. It did not matter. He was dead. [["I did not kill him!"->Claim innocence]] [["There were conflicts here before our arrival; there was barely anything we could have done about it!"->Claim independent conflict]] [["He obviously had enemies. This might well have happened without us ever getting involved!"->Claim unforseeable consequences]] (if: $Civilwar is true)[[["What civil war were you talking about before?"->Civil war agr]]] (if: $Infernostory is true)[[["Did one of the Exabal set the temple in flames?"->Inferno story agr]]] (set: $Esthensend to false)

"It seems the former crime syndicates have stirred up a rebellion. I think they were the ones setting the temple aflame. The whole city is fighting; criminals who came out of hiding, guards working for the syndicates, the Exabal - those loyal to the dead Elder Speaker as well as renegades - and the innocent citizens in between all of them. You can hear the skirmishes and screams if you listen closely." [["And how am I responsible for this? I did not incite this war!"->Claim innocence]] [["Then all of Norn was on the brink of devouring itself anyway!"->Claim independent conflict]] [["There was absolutely no way I could have known it would come to this!"->Claim unforseeable consequences]] (if: $Esthensend is true)[[["You said Esthen is dead?"->Esthen's end agr]]] (set: $Civilwar to false)

Antiochenes averted his gaze. "A group of people came here some time ago screaming 'Fight the Exabal' or something. They had weapons and torches. Some Exabal tried to stop them, they fought. In the end somebody set the temple on fire." "Didn't you do anything?" I asked. Ignoring me Antiochenes continued, "You know, who was among them?" For a moment he smiled a bitter smile. "The friendly guard from the city entrance." [["How is this my fault? I wasn't even conscious when they arrived!"->Claim innocence]] [["It seems very clear that there've been quite some animosities before!"->Claim independent conflict]] [["How should I have known that this would happen?"->Claim unforseeable consequences]] (if: $Esthensend is true)[[["Esthen is dead?!"->Esthen's end agr]]] (if: $Civilwar is true)[[["What civil war? How did this happen?"->Civil war agr]]] (set: $Infernostory to false)

"You have not understood anything," Antiochenes said calmly, looking as always like one of those marble statues my lords had standing in their gardens and halls back in the Great City of Andraste. "My weakness only proves my believes. Had I not saved you I could have saved this city. Had I only stuck to my faith. I have disappointed the Elders. But I will do good on them; I will prove that my way is true and pure; I will create peace; I will not be lead astray again." [["Are you going to destroy another city?"->What now 2]] I shouted sarcastically. I could not believe this. "Antiochenes, this is madness! [[There will always be people who will not be convinced.->What now 2]] You stroll around as if you could solve all the world's problems by talking when all you do is keeping your conscience clean, ignoring that sometimes there is just no way around violence!" "Look around you, Antiochenes," I said sympathetically, trying to convince him to finally become the boy he should have been instead of the marble man he so desperately attempted to be. [["Let it go."->What now 2]] His statement stuck with me. [[Maybe he was right.->What now 2]]

Antiochenes looked at me in shock, visibly searching for words as it dawned on him. "How...How dare you say that?" His solemn voice slowly rose up to shouting like a boy reacting to his father telling him that dragons were not real. "What gives you the right? You! You are responsible for all of this! You!" The boy came closer, screaming into my face. "You!" Then he broke down onto his knees crying, "You! I had no choice! By the Elders, forgive me!" Tears began to run down his face. It felt surreal. Antiochenes had always looked like one of those marble statues my lords had standing in their gardens and halls back in the Great City of Andraste. Now it seemed like one of their faces had been shattered and a devastated little boy had emerged from underneath it. Antiochenes dragged his hammer's head towards him, opened it up and began to fill sand into it without end. He filled it up way beyond its limits, causing the sand to spill over and pile up around the hammer. [[I kept quiet to allow him to deal with this on his own.->What now 2]] "Antiochenes, calm down! [[Learn from it! Become better!->What now 2]]" I tried to console him. "The Elders, the Exabal, Esthen, religion, just let it go, Antiochenes! [[You do not need anything or anyone to know what's right except for your own conscience!"->What now 2]]

Antiochenes said nothing. His expression showed determination and he looked towards the city. No, further. Towards the horizon. It seemed as if he had found a new willingness to move on. He grasped the handle of his hammer firmly. For a moment there he resembled a knight; none of the Order but one of those from fairy tales who slay dragons. He was about to say something when I suddenly spit blood. A flash of pain jolted through my whole body. Up to now my brain had held it back, keeping the gaping wound out of my consciousness as I was focused on Antiochenes. It seemed as if the flesh had finally beat the spirit. Antiochenes's gaze bolted to me. He drew in air, gathering strength for what he was about to say. "I am not going to help you again," he said, "If the Elders have made one thing clear to me in Norn, it is that they wanted to test my capability to let go anyone close to me. To make the world better, I have to fully commit to my belief." For a second he trembled. Doubt had snuck its way into his expression, just for a moment. Then it was gone. Antiochenes gave me a last look. "Goodbye, friend." And he left. [["Goodbye, 'friend'."->Epilog 2]] I said, grinning a bloody grin. I would die here but at least I could face whatever awaited me on the other side with a clean conscience. [[I scouted around in panic and tried my best to muster some cries for help.->Epilog 2]] Maybe someone else would come around. [["I hope one day you will find what you are looking for, Antiochenes, whatever it might look like."->Epilog 2]]

Antiochenes stopped sobbing. As he was rising his expression changed to determination and he looked towards the city. No, further. Towards the horizon. It seemed as if he had found a new willingness to move on. He grasped the handle of his hammer firmly. For a moment there he resembled a knight; none of the Order but one of those from fairy tales who slay dragons. He was about to say something when I suddenly spit blood. A flash of pain jolted through my whole body. Up to now my brain had held it back, keeping the gaping wound out of my consciousness as I was focused on Antiochenes. It seemed as if the flesh had finally beat the spirit. Antiochenes's gaze bolted to me. He drew in air, gathering strength for what he was about to say. "I am not going to help you again," he said, "If the Elders have made one thing clear to me in Norn, it is that they wanted to test my capability to let go anyone close to me. To make the world better, I have to fully commit to my belief." For a second he trembled. Doubt had snuck its way into his expression, just for a moment. Then it was gone. Antiochenes gave me a last look. "Goodbye, friend." And he left. [["Goodbye, 'friend'."->Epilog 2]] I said, grinning a bloody grin. I would die here but at least I could face whatever awaited me on the other side with a clean conscience. [[I scouted around in panic and tried my best to muster some cries for help.->Epilog 2]] Maybe someone else would come around. [["I hope one day you will find what you are looking for, Antiochenes, whatever it might look like."->Epilog 2]]

The heat of the burning temple had a certain cold to it. Not one that would make you shiver and look for a blanket. The other kind. The one that strangled your heart, that suffocated your lungs, the one that squeezed your stomach dry. It was a freezing, burning cold, expanding from the wound in my breast, creeping towards my legs, my arms, my head, my soul. Soon, my thoughts were the only thing I was aware of anymore. Feeling the cold closing in I wondered, had Antiochenes been right? Was I responsible for all of this? Was this all my fault? Had I entertained a false dream of reckless heroism? Did my actions actually aim at protecting those I stepped in front of? Or was I, in the end, only protecting my own moral concepts at the expense of the whole city of Norn? But no, I had been doing the right things...haven't I? Could it have been right to just stand still and do nothing? Of course not. This could never be right. On the other hand, what did it mean, 'right'? Esthen and Antiochenes both thought it 'right' to let a few suffer in order to save the many. Was I not 'right' in wanting to save everyone, even those few? Or was it more complicated than that? The cold gradually encircled my mind, like a hunter approaching its fatally wounded prey. Maybe whatever awaited me on the other side could answer my questions. I certainly hoped so as [[the cold finally towered above my last flickering thought, ready to devour it->A new beginning (Defaul $ 1)]].

"Well, there will always be different opinions on tone and manner of how to do something. Isn't that so, Kuratel?" Esthen looked at the white and golden robed woman, seemingly an Exabal commander, who took care not to return his gaze. "Yet, that is my burden to bear. After all, only decisive action will establish and maintain order." "I suppose it might be harder for the ones being judged than for you." My sarcastic comment was not very diplomatic but I did not care much. "Show some respect," Antiochenes reprimanded me. "It is alright," Esthen said, raising a hand, "but I am the Elder Speaker after all." "And that gives you the power to decide over life and death?" I pushed it further. "It does," The Exabal woman and Antiochenes said unisono. The Elder Speaker smiled his fatherly smile at me. "Listen, I understand your doubts. My methods might seem cruel to an outsider but they have proven their worth. This city was once a den of iniquity. It has become the orderly place it is today through the Exabal and me. The people here are hardened. A severed hand will not stop someone from stealing here. Imprisonment is not affordable in our current situation. You might not like them but violent methods are in the interest of this society." I opened my mouth to say something and realized that I could think of nothing to respond. Equally frustrated and ashamed [[I eventually remained silent->Old in new clothes]]. (set: $Controlledviolenceopen to false)

The Elder Speaker's face became distorted with fury, his fatherly attire exchanged for a grotesc grimace of rage, "Who do you think you are? You have done nothing so far! Nothing! And now you want to act? Now you want to show some agency? Now? Hasn't your caution, your thoughtful inaction brought you to this point? Aren't you content with how it turned out? Your companion is courageous enough to sacrifice his live for his believes! What gives you the right to deny him that? Do you have no respect? Do you not understand that this is not about you? Do you not see that you have declined any agency, any responsibility, any risk? Oh, my friend, it is way too late to make up for that. All you should do now is be courageous enough to accept the outcome of your silence..." I looked at him in cold defiance, "I am done being silent." Esthen calmed down as quickly as he had flared up. "Seize him." His voice sounded almost sad. Two Exabal grabbed my arms and despite some hefty struggling, I was unable to move anymore. "By the will of the Elders, I judge you. You have defied the will of the Elders and are utterly unwilling to see reason, despite my merciful patience. Your blasphemy shall stop now and forever." An Exabal drew a sword. I looked at Antiochenes. His face still seemed to be made of marble, but his eyes... his eyes were that of a boy. A boy who was unsure of what to do. At one moment they looked at me with iron determination, but at the next, they scurried over to the hammer laying but a few feet away from him. "May the Elders give you peace," Esthen said. Antiochenes's whole body had tightened up now, his hands had formed fists and he looked at me questioningly. If I asked him for help, he would surely provide it. Yet, violent intervention was the only viable option left. Should I damn him to sacrifice his principles? Or should I, myself, be doomed to die for them? When the Exabal raised his sword I looked my friend in the eyes and said, calmly, "[[Help.->Inferno 2]]" "[[Stay down.->Player Sacrifice]]"

The blade did not even touch me. One moment Antiochenes was standing right in front of me, then he was gone, flown towards my designated executioner, the hammer picked up in a nearly undiscernable movement along the way. The Exabal yanked his sword around but Antiochenes, agile as a panther, dove beneath it and pushed his elbow hard into the man's stomach. I was surprised and mesmerized by his almost superhuman speed. Within moments all the Exabal standing around us were engaged in combat with Antiochenes and he with all of them. Even more were coming in from the prayer square. Antiochenes brought the hammer down hard onto the back of his opponent. His body had not even hit the ground when he stepped up to another attacker, thus getting in too close for her to effectively carrying out a swing. He on the other hand held the hammer close to its head and rammed it into her right side just beneath the rib chage. Desparately gasping for air she collapsed to the ground. Out of a twisted sense of empathy I drew a deep breath myself. That was when I thought about taking actions myself. Yet, what could I do? I did not have any combat training whatsoever. Thus the only reasonable thing to do right now seemed to stay out of my companions's way. All my decisions have brought me to this point; for now I was condemned to watch how the consequences of my actions unfolded. Observing Antiochenes, I felt helpless and deeply irritated. The vicious fighter in front of me broke deeply with the image of the controlled and friendly boy I had become used to. How was this possible? It seemed like the hammer was just another one of his body parts, a hammer I could probably never even lift, let alone swing. He appeared not to be fighting with a group of Exabal using his enormous tool but rather dance with the hammer, while knocking down one white robed figure after the other was only part of the choreography. In the most unnatural and seemingly inhuman way Antiochenes's hammer rushed through the air like a scythe through wheat. Catching a glimpse of Antiochenes in the swirl of bodies, whirling dust and cries of agony and rage, I shuddered.His eyes were still filled with the same determination but all warmth had vanished and what was left was stone-cold efficiency. At this point it dawned on me. Raising his weapon again, here of all places, had set all chances of a peaceful solution of this conflict at naught. It was a point of no return and now Antiochenes was at a dead end. The boy's single goal now was to protect me, the innocent. No, [[the weak->The perfect Exabal]].

"Not for me, friend." He seemed unsettled. What we had seen might have troubled him more than I had initially thought. "However, I do not expect you to share my haste. Feel free to stay at the Inn. Although it would sadden me as it might mean Goodbye." "Perhaps we will meet each other some time again." Somehow we both knew better but neither of us said anything. "You know what? I can rest later, if it means I get to see how this all plays out. You won't get rid of me yet," I said, laughing, and we went on [[towards the temple->Towards the temple]]. "It's been very interesting to travel with you, Antiochenes. Thank you for everything, especially for saving my life!" He thanked me as well and we exchanged a short but heartfelt hug before we both [[went our separate ways->Early end]].

On our way to the temple I turned to Antiochenes, "So, what is your plan exactly?" He smiled in his usual calm manner, "I am going to ask for an audition with the Elder Speaker Esthen to discuss with him the practices of our belief. As I believe they have harshly misinterpreted the Elder's will, I am going to convince him to change his ways, so that he can rejoin the path of true faith and lead his Exabal onto it, too. You have seen what their practices leads to. This is not what the Elders want." "You make it sound so easy," I responded amusedly and Antiochenes chuckled. We spent the rest of the way having trivial small-talk until [[the temple came into full view->The Outer Temple]]. This basically meant that everything depended on one single man. So I asked, [["That Elder Speaker Esthen. Do you know him?"->Elder Speaker Info]] (if: $TheExabal is true)['The Exabal'. I had heard that expression before. [["Could you tell me more about these Exabal?"->The Exabal]]]

The woman was led away sobbing heavily. Meanwhile Antiochenes slowly approached me. I could not bare to meet his gaze. I just wanted to turn around and leave this dreadful place when two white robes blocked my way. Irritated, I heard the woman who had been threatening me raise her voice again, "Not so fast. Who are you and what do you want here." I turned around but before being able to say anything Antiochenes took it upon himself to answer. "Dear sires Exabal, my name is Antiochenes and this is my companion. We are here to talk to the Elder Speaker." "Are you now?" She looked at Antiochenes's hammer disdainfully. "I see, you are a traditionalist..." Suddenly another woman appeared beside her. Also clad in white robes and golden armor but carrying herself with pronounced dignity, she was visibly assessing the situation. "What is the meaning of this?" "Forgive me, Lady Kuratel. These two are strangers who request an audience with the Elder Speaker. One of them interfered with us carrying out the Elder Speaker's orders." Kuratel mustered us with sharp eyes, not missing the hammer either. "Their wish shall be granted. Let's bring them to Esthen." Then she turned around and walked off. The woman gestured towards the other Exabal and followed Kuratel. We had little choice but to join them and were [[escorted to the temple->To the temple dark]].

Realizing in shock that he was all alone now, the man in his desperation lunged forward holding the sword towards the general direction of the woman. She paried his attack with ease and lead his blade into the void. Then her other hand shot forward to grab his arm, twisted it and turned him around. The child began to ferociously cry again as the woman thrust her sword into the man's back so hard that it went right through his stomach and emerged with a fountain of blood on the other side. I averted my eyes, guilt wrenching my stomach. With a kick the woman pushed the body forward and off of her sword as if it was dirt sullying the blade. Without further ado she spinned on her heel and shouted at the audience, "We will protect you! But only if you let us! Such heretic crimes will not stand! This city will not...", she took care to emphasize this, "...will not fall back into those dark times past. While the rest of the world is still eager to drown each other in their blood we are here to protect each other. Those who will not respect that, those who will stand against the peace and protection the Elders teach us will fall!" That being said she looked at me. While others picked up the man's lifeless body and carried it as well as the sobbing child passed the watching crowd she inquired, "Who are you and what do you want here?" Before being able to say anything Antiochenes, who had approached us in the meantime, took it upon himself to answer. "Dear sires Exabal, my name is Antiochenes and this is my companion. We are here to talk to the Elder Speaker." "Are you now?" She looked at Antiochenes's hammer disdainfully. "I see you are a traditionalist..." Suddenly another woman appeared beside her. Also clad in white robes and golden armor but carrying herself with pronounced dignity, she was visibly assessing the situation. "What is the meaning of this?" "Forgive me, Lady Kuratel. These two are strangers who request an audience with the Elder Speaker. One of them interfered with us carrying out the Elder Speaker's orders." Kuratel mustered us with sharp eyes, not missing the hammer either. "Their wish shall be granted. Let's bring them to Esthen." Then she turned around and walked off. The woman gestured towards the other Exabal and followed Kuratel. We had little choice but to join them and were [[escorted to the temple->To the temple dark]].

Some people turned towards me with a mixture of surprise and empathy on their faces and the woman stopped her deadly maneuver for a moment. "Don't," Antiochenes said to me just quietly enough so no-one else would hear. "You cannot do anything to save this man. You would only throw your life away as you would be struck down right after him. Believe me, this is a fight you cannot win." When the woman holding the sword could not identify the source of the interruption she returned her attention to the man in front of her. No matter what Antiochenes said, I was doing the right thing here. [["I said stop this!"->Escalation 1]] I stepped out of the crowd and went straight to the man to protect him. I was frozen in indecision. Antiochenes wanted me to let this man die. With sweat running down my forehead I eventually decided to [[heed his advice->The applicant's admission]], hoping I could do good on it later on. If that was even possible...

The blade did not cut the throat completely, so the head tilted to the side still partly attached to the rest of the body by a pack of sinews, muscles and skin. The whole lump eventually fell down to the ground. The woman tossed the sword away, kneeled in front of the formation of white and golden robes and turned her gaze down. The Exabal who had threatened me approached her, picked up the sword and pointed it right at the woman's throat without evoking any reaction. The tip of the blade rose to her chin causing her to raise first her head, then her whole body. As they faced each other the robed man suddenly threw the sword into the air and caught it at the tip thereby offering her the handle. She took it, bowed and followed some of his men off the square. Some of the stopped briefly to take the bodies of the dead with them. As soon as the last of them was gone, the audience's invisible line vanished and people walked all over the place. They only took notice of the blood in order to not sully their clothes. Meanwhile Antiochenes slowly approached me. I could not bare to meet his gaze. I just wanted to turn around and leave this dreadful place when two Exabal blocked my way. Irritated, I heard the robed man raise his voice again, "Not so fast. Who are you and what do you want here." I turned around but before being able to say anything Antiochenes took it upon himself to answer. "Dear sires Exabal, my name is Antiochenes and this is my companion. We are here to talk to the Elder Speaker." "Are you now?" He looked at Antiochenes's hammer disdainfully. "I see you are a traditionalist..." Suddenly a woman appeared beside him. Also clad in white robes and golden armor but carrying herself with pronounced dignity, she was visibly assessing the situation. "What is the meaning of this?" "Forgive me, Lady Kuratel. These two are strangers who request an audience with the Elder Speaker. One of them interfered with us carrying out the Elder Speaker's orders." Kuratel mustered us with sharp eyes, not missing the hammer either. "Their wish shall be granted. Let's bring them to Esthen." Then she turned around and walked off. The man gestured towards the other Exabal and followed Kuratel. We had little choice but to join them and were [[escorted to the temple->To the temple dark]].

Antiochenes started from his sleep as I gently shook him. Dazed and drowsy he looked at me, "Are we in danger?" I laughed at the sleepy young man and let go of him, "No, no, don't worry. You were having a nightmare, that's all." "I see, forgive me. While the Elders give me strength and peace of mind during the day, the unconsciousness is, as of its nature, more fragile and susceptible to weakness." "What were you dreaming of?" "Monsters and men, the evil spirits every child and every old man dreams about once in a while." "Specific..." I commented and smiled; back was the genteel wise-crack I had been travelling with. "I think there is never anything specific about nightmares, don't you think?" A jolt of memory from the Great City of Andraste shot through me. "Depends..." "On what?" Antiochenes asked curiously. "If you're asleep or awake while having them," I said and then started packing my things, making it clear that I would not discuss the matter any further. Thankfully Antiochenes did not pressure me. I was looking forward to finally reaching our destination today and my gaze wandered [[towards the horizon behind which lay the city of Norn->Norn on the horizon]].

After we had packed our things, feeling more or less rested, we started walking again. The desert had taken its toll on my body, even more so before Antiochenes had found me. My back, head arms and face were burned to a red rash, my lips were sprung and my vision started to blurr. Not one single moment too late, the city of Norn came into view. I looked at my companion and we shared a sigh of relief. At first I was not sure if it was actually buildings we saw or just more dunes as the houses blended in to the sandy environment so well. It seemed as if they had just grown out of the desert. Yet, some specific buildings stood out, not by their color, which were of the same ochor as the desert, but by their form and height. Two broad block towers rose about two stories above the rest of the houses and probably belonged to a temple or a royal palace. They were only topped by a very thin and high tower at the far end of the city. The only other distinguishable building was an enormous block close to the single tower. I suspected it to be a market or something of the like. As we got closer I was able to smell the salty air of ocean water although the city and some dunes were still blocking our view. Suddenly Antiochenes held me back. [["What are you doing? We are almost there. I have to drink something!"->Short stop]], I said in a begging tone. I turned towards him with my eyebrows raised, [["What is it?"->Short stop]].

The inexorable heat of the sun had burned down on us for two days, only suspended by a few hours of rest under nothing more than thin sheets of linen, not even big enough fro a tent. The stranger, whose name had turned out to be Antiochenes, had only carried scarce water reserves and due to his generous sharing they had run out in the morning of the second day. When Norn was within a day's reach, we decided to rest one last time to gather our strength for the final part of our journey through the desert. I was overwhelmed when I thought of the prospect of civilization, water and shade. I would not have made it, if not for this young man and I was deeply thankful that he had stumbled upon me. While we molded the sharp sand into a bolster comfortable enough to sleep on as best we could, I observed Antiochenes. He was such a weird fellow. Although barely older than a boy, he was lacking any emotion so typical for that age. Instead he had the cold reasoning and dignified behavior of an old man. He lay down, his hammer next to him, and said with a benevolent, yet subtle smile, "Rest well," and turned around to sleep facing the infinite sea of sand. After thinking about this and that, what kind of a city Norn would be and if we would face any complications there, I eventually fell asleep as well. It was not long, though, until I was woken by strange noises. At first I rose with a start expecting that something had snuck its way into our barren encampment, but soon I realized it was actually a restless whimpering coming from the still sleeping Antiochenes. It seemed my companion was having a nightmare. So I approached him to see if he was alright. The iron mask he usually wore as a face now was covered in sweat and twitches. The constant display of knowledge and patience on his expression had given way to a scared child full of insecurity and loneliness, clutching to his enormous hammer. It was a completly different Antiochenes from the one I had come to know in the short time of our companionship. An especially strong twitch rippled through his face and pulled me out of my thoughts. I felt compelled to [[wake him up->Wake up]]. After all, I did not want to leave him to his nightmares, even though it brought forth some emotion in the statuesque young man. It was my empathy that prevented me from waking him up. This boy did nothing more all day than being more of an adult than any I had ever known. At least in his sleep he deserved to process the day with some emotion, some childishness, and be it only in the form of spooky dreams. Thus [[I went back to sleep leaving Antiochenes as he was->Norn on the horizon]].

My name is not relevant. In fact, it will become utterly redundant soon. The hot desert sand was about to claim me forever. Without any strength left I lay in the middle of nowhere, having come to die as I had lived, devoid of power. Yet, at least I had decided my faith for myself in freedom instead of withering away in servitude like hundreds of others. The Great City of Andraste, the place I had escaped from, was only conisdered 'great' by those able to enjoy its luxuries; the rest of its inhabitants were doomed to work for what little the powerful would give, rarely ever enough to afford a better life. Some had still risen up the social ladder, most were less lucky, however. The unluckiest of all were those who the uppers grew fond of. They would place them under constant supervision, making sure, while they were legally allowed to leave the city, they were practically not. I belonged to the latter. After years of serving food, looking after children and cleaning every surface imaginable, I could not bear it anymore. One day, with the secret help of those sharing my plight, yet not desperate enough to draw the same consequences, I ran out into the open desert. Nobody had expected me to survive, including me. Yet, it was my decision to die for something, for myself, instead of living for nothing. So here I lay, drained of water, strength and any sense of time. Only my stubborness was keeping me alive, and it would not for much longer, as it seemed...when I suddenly heard a [[voice->Waking up (Defaul $ 2)]].

Themes of - Slavery - Violence - Abduction - Suicide [[Back to title page.->A new beginning (Defaul $ 1)]]

"The Elders... are just pure. They actually never fought back in the age of conquest, did you know that? They protected their people of course and defended themselves, but they never launched a single counter-offensive to fight back mankind. They were a people of peace and wisdom, not one of war. And even though we invaded their homeland and were about to completely annihilate them, they looked favorably upon us once they had elevated spiritually to what they are today - beings beyond our full understanding. I think, humanity can rise to these spheres as well, when they are ready. When they are ready to leave wars and violence and greed and envy and lust behind. When they are ready to embrace the Elders' hands reaching out to them. They left behind such a rich legacy of wisdom and knowledge, yet we destroyed as much of it as we could and the last traces left of them are used as weapons that wreak havoc to all of humanity. In the end inevitably they will prove fatal to the ones who use them as well. There has to be change and there will be if enough people are willing to learn from the Elders, are willing to believe in them and are willing to stand for that believe. Admittedly many call us deranged for having faith in a species annihilated centuries ago. Religious communities, on the other hand, see us as competition to their hegemony. But the Elders are no religion, they are reality and in my modest opinion they are the only thing that can deliver humanity from the certain doom it is once again steering towards, this time with a finality, I fear, no one can save themselves from." (if: $TheHammer is true and $RedStreetIntro is true)[Quite the faith... I wondered if the hammer was connected to it. [["Is that hammer a symbol of your faith, too?"->The Hammer]]] (if: $RedStreetIntro is true)["I admire your dedication," I said honestly. Then we proceeded [[into the city->Red Street Intro Trial 1]].] (if: $RedStreetIntro is false)["Now things make a bit more sense to me, thanks." I thought more about Antiochenes's words until we eventually approached [[the outer temple area->The Outer Temple]].] (set: $TheElders to false)

Our eyes locked and his sword glinted as it cut through the warm air. I realized that this would be my last moments on Gaia. What had I been thinking? There had not been a huge array of possibile consequences for stepping in this way. In fact, there was only one and I could have been foresightful enough to see it. Would my death even make a difference? Probably not. Probably I had only heightened the chances of the white robes hurting the woman... Nevertheless I would do it again...it was the right thing to do. I hoped the Elders or whoever awaited me on the other side would see it the same way...The blade rushed down onto me. The impact caused a shattering thud. At first I thought my brain had blocked out the pain but then I realized that I had not actually been hit. The sword had sunken halfway into the handle of Antiochenes's hammer. Its bearer had brought it between me and the blade just in time. My companion's eyes were iron, his face like a mask made from stone and his body now revealed tenacious muscles underneath its lean appearance. The Exabal's face darkened while he proclaimed with a voice full of wrath, carefully pronouncing every word, "This. Will. Not. Stand!" As soon as the man had pried free his sword from the hammer's handle, he took some steps back and pointed at another Exabal shouting, "You! Kill him!" The woman followed the order and immediately came at Antiochenes. [[He defended himself.->Fight]]