What Keeps Us Apart.html

You are Cullen Rutherford, a young templar in training, stationed at the Circle of Magi in Ferelden towering over Lake Calenhad. You've joined the templars a few years ago, at only thirteen years old, training hard and always trying to meet the expectations of your superiors. Most of that time was spent on theory, though: Combat training against fellow recruits, studying the Chant and learning about the uses and risks of magic. Now that you've been stationed at the Circle, you are able to put your training to actual use, something you've been looking forward to ever since your recruitment - helping people in the service of the Chantry and the Maker and protecting them from the dangers of magic. With each day, you take on more and more responsiblities and learn more about life in the Circle. A lot of your time is spent overseeing the mages during their studies, keeping watch in the great stone halls of the Circle tower. You enjoy most of the work, even though there are still a lot of times where you feel overwhelmed, especially while interacting with the mages - you often wish that had been part of your training, too. [[Continue->Introduction2]]

Right now you are standing in your quarters, finishing your afternoon break. Putting on your heavy armour, it still feels a bit unfamiliar, pinching in places you haven't yet cushioned well enough - especially after a few hours of walking around in it. This evening, you are ordered to take watch in the library - a rather simple task. The library is a very quiet place, packed with knowledge and young mages preparing for exams or doing their homework, whispering in small groups or not talking at all. Your job is to make sure that it is quiet enough for everyone to concentrate and that no one is breaking any rules. Especially in the evening, the hardest part is not to doze off and stay focused enough to be aware of your surroundings. There is some time left until your shift starts - what do you want to do? [[Do a quick patrol at the dorms->B1 dorms]] [[Spend some time focusing on prayer->C1 prayer]] [[Go directly to the library and start your shift early->A1 straight to library]] (set: $prayer to 0) (set: $dorm to 0)

You enter the dorms and start following the long corridor, your steps creating rattling echoes between the stone walls. Sometimes you wonder if the templars would be better at catching insubordination if they weren't audible the moment they stepped foot in the dorms. Right now, everything seems to be in order. You nod to one of your fellow templars in passing, trying to mimic his stern demenour. You wish you could be as comfortable being around mages as him and the other older templars. You start wondering where (if: $race is 0) [Amell] (if: $race is 1) [Surana] might be right now. You sometimes catch yourself noticing similar voices to hers, or a similar laugh, melodic and way too seldomly heard. You wish you could hear it more often or even be the cause of her laughter some day. [[Continue->B1 dorms2]]

You enter the small chapel, a candle-lit room with a tall statue of Andraste amidst candles and prayer books. Sitting on one of the wooden benches, you close your eyes and start to recite the Chant in your head, trying to rid your thoughts of any distractions. During training, you were quite good at this. While some of the other recruits started giggling or even snoring, your dedication and ambition strenghtened your focus. In the last few months, this has changed. After a few verses of the Chant, your mind wanders, crafting daydreams instead. Just like right now: (if: $race is 0) [Amell] (if: $race is 1) [Surana] appears before your eyes, walking down the hall, chatting with some other apprentices, the tips of her long robes flowing around her ankles, hips swaying slightly with every step... You stop yourself, shaking your head in frustration. After some more attempts, you give up. It's quite late, anyway. You can try again tomorrow morning, with fresh energy. [[Continue->C1 prayer2]]

No harm in being a bit early - an attitude that always got you praise from those in charge and sometimes a few irritated glances from your fellow recruits. Walking down the halls towards the library, you start wondering where (if: $race is 0) [Amell] (if: $race is 1) [Surana] might be right now. You sometimes catch yourself noticing similar voices to hers, or a similar laugh, melodic and way too seldomly heard. You wish you could hear it more often or even be the cause of her laughter some day... "Why are you smiling, Cullen? Eager to go read some books, ey?" an older templar chuckles, coming towards you. You didn't notice that you were smiling - and now you are definitely not smiling anymore. "Just joking with you, lad, don't get scared." he adds, grinning, casually patting your shoulder as he walks by. You sigh to ease the tension in your shoulders, being as angry with yourself for your ridiculous infatuation as with the templar for embarassing you. Hopefully you haven't been smiling like an idiot everytime you thought of her in the last few months, otherwise there will surely be an extremely unpleasant conversation with the Knight Commander soon. [[Enter the library->library]]

You enter the small chapel, a candle-lit room with a tall statue of Andraste amidst candles and prayer books. Sitting on one of the wooden benches, you close your eyes and start to recite the Chant in your head, trying to rid your thoughts of any distractions. During training, you were quite good at this. While some of the other recruits started giggling or even snoring, your dedication and ambition strenghtened your focus. In the last few months, this has changed. After a few verses of the Chant, your mind wanders, crafting daydreams instead. Just like right now: (if: $race is 0) [Amell] (if: $race is 1) [Surana] appears before your eyes, walking down the hall, chatting with some other apprentices, the tips of her long robes flowing around her ankles, hips swaying slightly with every step... Then the images change, you see her in a room, surrounded by templars. Her eyes roll back as her body seems to contort under some kind of posession and one of the templars raises his sword to... You stop yourself, shaking your head in fear and frustration. After some more failed attempts at focusing on prayer, you give up. It's quite late, anyway. [[Continue->D1 prayer2]]

Everytime she shifts in her seat or gets up to search for a different book, your eyes are drawn to her. You try to concentrate on your surroundings, condemning yourself for being so distracted from your duty. [[This is pointless, you can't focus - leave and ask someone else to take your post.->sleep]] [[Watch her from afar.->watch1]] [[Go up and talk to her.->talk]]

You spend the rest of your shift as far away from her as possible, trying to distract yourself from the chaos in your head. (if: $Wynne is 1) [If your feelings were so obvious to Wynne, who else already noticed? And how long would it take for someone to inform the Knight Commander?] The remaining evening goes by without incident. As you go to bed you are still thinking about her. (if: $dorm is 0 and $prayer is 0) [Wondering if you ever get the chance to tell her how you feel.] (if: $dorm is 1) [Tossing and turning, you agonize about what tomorrow might bring, wondering if you ever get the chance to talk to her again.] (if: $dorm is 0 and $prayer is 1) [Tossing and turning, you agonize about the task that lies before you.] [[The End]]

No point in trying to watch the rest of the library when you can't concentrate. Your eyes focus on her: brows furrowed, she is studying the wall of text and the different arcane symbols in front of her, lightly chewing on the wooden end of a quil that rests in her fingers. You feel your cheeks flush with heat at the thought of approaching her. [[This is ridiculous. Leave before someone notices and ask someone else to take your post.->sleep]] [[Keep watching her from afar.->watch2]] [[Go up and talk to her.->talk]]

You gather all your courage and approach her table. (if: $dorm is 1) [This might be the last time you have the chance, after all.] There are books and papers strewn all over it, a few candles already burned down to stumps. Standing in front of her, heart pounding, you clear your throat to gain her attention. Startled, she raises her head: "Did I miss the curfew again? I'm so ..." she starts, looking around to see if everyone else has already left. Then her eyes move back to you, questioningly. [[This is too much. Leave before you embarrass yourself any further.->sleep]] [[Think of something to say.->interrupt]] (if: $dorm is 1) [[Bring up her Harrowing.->interrupt]]

Even if you wanted to, you feel like you can't take your eyes off of her. The warm glow of the candle caressing her cheeks, a strand of hair falling in her face... Maker, she is beautiful. "Cullen, isn't it?" you haven't noticed the older woman, Wynne, approaching, her voice interrupting your thoughts. When you entered the library, she was sitting at one of the tables, legs crossed, her glasses halfway down her nose, studying some old scrolls. Now she is standing right next to you. You immediately straighten yourself, caught doing something you know is not right. She firmly puts a hand on your shoulder and steers you toward a remote corner of the library. She leans in with a smile, talking quietly: "These towers can seem rather small if one is spending all of their time inside of them, don't you think? Being surrounded by the same people everyday." she pauses for a moment, peering at you from the side. Then her voice softens: "It's important to remember that there is a whole world out there, Cullen - A world you can travel if you ever wanted to. She cannot. At least not as easily. Every little freedom in the Circle is earned and can be taken away again. Let's not distract her from the path that is before her." She pauses again and when she speaks, her voice is even quieter than before: "After all, affairs of the heart are often destined for anguish around here, no matter how pure and well-meaning your intentions might be..." With these words, she turns away. [[Continue->sleep]] (set: $Wynne to 1)

Thank you so much for playing! [[Start again->Introduction]]

Before you can say anything, (if: $race is 0) [Amell] (if: $race is 1) [Surana]'s eyes move to someone next to you. Standing there is Wynne, one of the older teachers in the Circle. She smiles at you knowingly and you immediately feel like she is seeing right through you. Wynne turns to (if: $race is 0) [Amell] (if: $race is 1) [Surana]. "It's late, child, time to close the books and get some rest for today." she says warmly. "You never know what tomorrow might ask of you." As (if: $race is 0) [Amell] (if: $race is 1) [Surana] nods and starts to gather her books, Wynne turns to you. She firmly puts a hand on your shoulder and steers you away from the table, toward a remote corner of the library. She leans in with a smile, talking quietly: "These towers can seem rather small if one is spending all of their time inside of them, don't you think? Being surrounded by the same people everyday." she pauses for a moment, peering at you from the side. Then her voice softens: "It's important to remember that there is a whole world out there, Cullen - A world you can travel if you ever wanted to. She cannot. At least not as easily. Every little freedom in the Circle is earned and can be taken away again. Let's not distract her from the path that is before her." She pauses again and when she speaks, her voice is even quieter than before: "After all, affairs of the heart are often destined for anguish around here, no matter how pure and well-meaning your intentions might be..." With these words, she turns away. [[Continue->sleep]] (set: $Wynne to 1)

(css: "font-size: 200%;")[What Keeps Us Apart] Hello! Before you start, please answer one question: Is the mage Cullen has a crush on [[human]] (last name Amell) or [[elven]] (last name Surana)?

Thank you! Good to know. [[Start->Introduction]] (set: $race to 0)

Thank you! Good to know. [[Start->Introduction]] (set: $race to 1)

You enter the great halls of the library, dimly lit by a few candles and some glowing wisps of magic floating above the students' heads. Your mother once told you you could go blind from reading in the dark. If that was true, it would certainly be an explanation for why most of the mages' noses are buried so deeply in their books. Scanning the room for anything out of the ordinary, you see her, sitting at a small table in the back of the library - (if: $race is 0) [Amell] (if: $race is 1) [Surana]. (if: $prayer is 1 and $dorm is 1) [Usually this would be a welcome sight, the highlight of your day, if you are being honest to yourself. Today it is not joy you feel, it is dread, making your chest feel tight and your breathing shallow. Images start flashing before your eyes: Her lovely face distorted, her body turning foul and monstrous, templars shouting at you to cut her down, to kill the mage before she kills all of them - You feel your sight get blurry and take a deep breath to keep your heart from beating so fast. It takes a few more deep breaths before you start to feel calmer again. No, it won't end that way. It can't.] (if: $prayer is 1 and $dorm is 0) [Usually this would be a welcome sight, the highlight of your day, if you are being honest to yourself. Today this joy is darkened, though, affected by the task that lies ahead of you. There is a small moment where you wonder: Would you be able to cut her down, if she became an abomination?] (if: $prayer is 0 and $dorm is 1) [Usually this would be a welcome sight, the highlight of your day, if you are being honest to yourself. Today it is not joy you feel, it is dread, making your chest feel tight and your breathing shallow. Images start flashing before your eyes: Her lovely face distorted, her body turning foul and monstrous, templars shouting to cut her down, to kill the mage before she kills all of them - You feel your sight get blurry and take a deep breath to keep your heart from beating so fast. It takes a few more deep breaths before you start to feel calmer again. No, it won't end that way. It can't.] (if: $prayer is 0 and $dorm is 0) [As usual, she is a welcome sight, the highlight of your day, if you are being honest to yourself. ] You look for a spot with a good overview for your watch while still being as close to her as possible. [[Take your post->bottleneck dialogue]]

One mage in particular has caught your attention. You know her last name, (if: $race is 0) [Amell] (if: $race is 1) [Surana] - a young woman with intelligent eyes and a soft, kind voice. No matter how big the crowd, your gaze always seems to be pulled toward her, like a magnet. The few times you have interacted with her are still fresh in your memory: Asking her for directions to the Grand Enchanter's office, helping her carry a surprisingly huge amount of books from one end of the library to the other... You often wonder what she might think about you. Contact between mages and templars is difficult, of course. You know very well that close relationships are to be avoided. Conversations are to be kept short, allowing for familiarity but always with an appropriate distance. Any templar must be able to strike without hesitation when a mage becomes dangerous - a rule that seemed much less complicated before you started to spend so much time in the Circle. [[Continue->Today]]

As you continue down the corridor, hushed whispers catch your ear from one of the dorm rooms. It must be an interesting topic if they haven't heard you approaching. You stop for a moment near the doorway, listening in: "How do you know it's her? It could be anyone, really." "Some templars were talking about the new schedule for tomorrow or something and I clearly heard them say her name - not a lot of people are called (if: $race is 0) [Amell] (if: $race is 1) [Surana] around here, or are they?" "And they can just take her to the Harrowing without telling her? Shouldn't we warn her?" "Of course we do, don't be ridiculous! As soon as she gets here, we - ..." You feel a tight knot in your stomach - her Harrowing? You have not been at a Harrowing yet but you know that it is the last test of will before an apprentice becomes a full member of the Circle. Being sent to the Fade, they must stand against a demon, preventing the posession of their body as the demon is trying to escape the Fade. You have also heard horrible stories during your training: Young mages not being able to withstand the temptation of a demon during their test, being changed, transformed, corrupted - until there is no humanity left in them, only sin and evil. There are multiple templars present during the Harrowing and one of them is tasked with killing the mage would it come to this. You exit the dorms, your heart racing. [[Spend the remaining time focusing on prayer->D1 prayer]] [[Start your shift at the library->library]] (set: $dorm to 1)

As you turn to leave, you walk by the templars' schedule for the week. (if: $race is 0) [Amell] (if: $race is 1) [Surana]'s Harrowing is listed and there is also the name of the templar tasked with the execution if something goes wrong: Rutherford. You catch yourself with one hand on the wall beside you, trying to steady yourself. If this is the Maker trying to test you, it is a cruel test. [[It's time to start your shift at the library->library]] (set: $prayer to 1)

As you turn to leave, you walk by the templars' schedule for the week. There has been a last-minute change for your shift tomorrow: You are tasked to take watch at a Harrowing for the first time. Not a lot of the other young templars have already been at a Harrowing, the last test of will before an apprentice becomes a full member of the Circle. Being sent to the Fade, they must stand against a demon, preventing the posession of their body as the demon is trying to escape the Fade. Your hard work must have been noticed to give you this important task. Still, you feel a tight knot in your stomach and your shoulders tense with anxiety under your heavy armour. You remember all the horrible stories you have heard in training: Young mages not being able to withstand the temptation of a demon during their test, being changed, transformed, corrupted - until there is no humanity left in them, only sin and evil. Although there are multiple templars present during the Harrowing, only one of them is tasked to kill the mage would it come to this. Tomorrow this templar will be you. As you leave the chapel, you watch the mages you encounter with even more intent than usual, some of them avoiding your gaze as a result. Would you be able to strike one of them down if it came to it? Or more importantly: Would you even have a choice? [[Spend the remaining time patroling the dorms->E1 dorms]] [[Start your shift at the library->library]] (set: $prayer to 1)