Chapter Text
“If we can spare resources to follow up on these leads, Inquisitor, I would appreciate it. ” Cassandra suggested softly as she made her way out of the war room. Thilior Lavellan couldn’t help but notice the distant look in her eyes as she left, a few paces ahead of him.
He knew he had to help the Seeker find what remained of her Order. Cassandra needed closure, a new path to set her on and solidify her faith. What he hadn’t expected was for her to find something to shake the very basis of her faith.
Thilior notified his advisors that he and Cassandra intended on investigating the lead they had on the Seekers of Truth at Caer Oswin. The days leading up to it, however, had Cassandra on edge. She was restless; hitting the practice dummies with her sword harder than usual, setting her novel down yet again beside her stool in favour of pacing back and forth in her little training ground.
He wasn’t sure she even wanted to find the truth, considering recent events. She wasn’t either.
So he followed her to Caer Oswin, along with the Tevinter mage and the spirit he grew rather fond of. It was apparent from the moment that they entered the grounds and killed five angry, armed men in different uniforms that something was wrong.
“Promisers. I should have known,” Cassandra sighed as she sheathed her blade. “The Order of Fiery Promise is a cult with…strange beliefs about the Seekers. They’ve hounded us for centuries.”
Thilior shook his head. “What kind of ‘strange beliefs?’”
“They believe they are Seekers— the only rightful ones,” Cassandra began. “They say we robbed their powers long ago, preventing them from ending the world.”
“Ending the world?” He looked at her, intrigued.
“The only way to truly eradicate evil, in their eyes. ‘The world will be reborn a paradise.’ It’s all nonsense,” she answered.
“Why haven’t the Seekers dealt with them?”
“We have. Many times. They simply reappear after a time, like weeds. Nobody knows how.” Cassandra replied, exasperated.
“Is it…possible to negotiate with them?” Thilior glanced at the dead Promiser beside him.
“They’re fanatics, drunk on whatever forbidden magic they can find to make themselves ‘true’ Seekers. This explains why the Seekers might be here, but not the connection to Corypheus.”
“Now I’m starting to believe that Thedas seems to have a cult problem.” Thilior shrugged his shoulders as they continued moving through the fortress. It earned him a laugh from Dorian.
Thilior thought that Caer Oswin would have been quite the sight to see under different circumstances. But the halls were dimly lit, prompting the party to fumble their way through the darkness, while fighting the any cultist they encountered.
Finding the body of a dead Seeker as they walked further into the stronghold agitated Cassandra. Reading the note she found on the body of another Promiser and learning that Corypheus had sold the Seekers to the cult only further agitated her. The anger and worry laced in her voice unnerved him. The Seekers were important to Cassandra— they were the family she grew to love and care for in place of the one she lost years ago. The Inquisitor found himself at a loss for words the further they walked into the building. He couldn’t imagine what his lady Seeker must have been feeling.
It wasn’t until they stumbled upon the form of a crumpled man— still breathing— on the floor did they understand the gravity of the situation.