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The party is a mercenary unit of the Tevinter Imperium, during the first Blight. It's only been few days since they were recruited or sent to this town, and they don't know each other yet. This is still open for now, please reply here if you want to join.

Commander Singh woke them up earlier than usual that day. He rung a bell around the sleeping mercenaries, as he always did, screaming around: “WAKE UP! TIME TO PROVE YOURSELVES USEFUL.”

Not even awaiting for them to get ready, he begun a quick debrief of the mission. "As you must have heard already, Darkspawn attacks, just a few miles south from here, are getting more and more frequent. The locals are scared, and the only unit sent to investigate never came back. You'll go there, and find evidence on the strength of the attacker. Prepare yourselves, go sharpen and repair your weapons or train a little, and be in the dinning halls in an hour.”

He looked briefly at the room to see if any were still asleep, and left to meet the Magister who was inspecting the casern.

Let’s hope they were a good investment – no doubt I’d be the next sacrifice if they proved useless. With all their training and their respective backgrounds, they should be fine in combat, but this unit was made in a haste: they have not fought together before and might get into trouble because of that. This, and the fact maybe we’re dealing with a big group of Darkspawn this time…

I sit up and pen the small chest that held my only belongings. A simple set of light elven armor and twin elven swords.

I slowly pull out a sharpening stone and sharpen up the edge of her blades.

Two mercenaries get up, put their heavy armor on and get their weapons - respectively a two-handed sword and a battle axe.
"Let's go to the blacksmith, I need to repair my helm."
"You know what else you got to repair? Your aiming skill. We should go for some axe throwing whilst the helm's being repaired. "
Without paying much attention to the others, they leave in direction of the forge.

While I sharpened my blades a young human rouge slide over to me and charmingly places his arm around me.

“While we have time, the two of us can go have a little fun.” whispered the man in my ear.

“Leave me be or you loose your little friend below the belt.” I hissed gesturing to the dagger I was now holding to his groan.

“No need to be like that.” replied Theon as he slowly slide away from me and my freshly sharpened blades.

((Neemus no problem)).

While he was unsure of what a ‘Darkspawn’ was, he assumed it wasn’t good. He had been hired for an unusual job that went against his entire quota; he was to help the army fight off whatever those Darkspawn were, and so far he’d gotten nowhere.

A few men had already made fun of or shunned him from their grouping, which only frustrated him a bit. Those that had laughed had found themselves missing a finger or two before they could see his blades move, while he eavesdropped on those who had isolated him, gaining the information he’d been denied first hand.

The door leading to the rest of the barracks opened.
"Anyone in for a game of dice?" asked a man in leather armor, who now was standing on the doorstep.

I look up and roll my eyes before going back to sharpening my blades. I hated dining this clothed for I always feel the most relaxed and free naked but I was an elf hermaphrodite and no one here would truly wish to see me naked.

This cleaning and sharpening my blades clothed was my only option not to mention it might draw more like that human earlier.

I sigh and watch to see if anyone takes the man’s offer while also listening for any juice information that’d give me the edge.

"I'll take that as a no." The man left.

Voices could be heard a few meters away from their position.
"...as there was an increase in banditry and recent Darkspawn attacks, we have renovated the training grounds, and built a new barrack here."
"Those are the ones for the special units you're going to send south?"
"Yes your Highness."
"Alright. Ah, the library! Did you receive the maps of the Deep Roads..."
They continued inspecting the rooms.

I smile as I listen to the intel. I need that map as well as one of this camp if I’m going to escape and truly be free.

He wrote down every bit of information he could, assigning it all to where he could use it to his advantage if the need came about. In the meanwhile, he kept sharpening his blade without a care.

I put the sharpening stone away and pull out a blade polish that I like to use to secure the blade’s sharpness. I start to apply the polish to me swords.

An hour passed without anything special happening. Eventually a bell rang, bringing their free time to an end.

As you enter the dinner table, an old man in mage robes and the commander are sitting at one end of the table, waiting for everyone to take a seat. The two seats to their right and left are empty, as well as many others around the table.
Behind each seat is a backpack filled with what looks like supplies and enough to make a tent and cook.
The plates on the table are still full, and the food seems better this time, it is still steaming and more elaborate than the army rations. Each glass is filled with wine.
The old man stands up after you and all others have found their seat, making the entire garrison go silent.
"Brave soldiers! Proud officers! The Imperium has trained you and cared for you in better days. As demonic creatures threaten to overthrow it, it now needs your aid." He raises his glass. "May the scouts gathered at this table return with the finest information on our enemy ; may their blades defeat the foe ; may their shields parry any blow."
The soldiers proceed to do the same, and empty their glasses.
"If you have any question, now is the time to ask." specifies the commander.

I had found a seat at the end that allowed to watch everyone else. I sit in silence watching everyone else.

Most of the soldiers are back to talking with each other, and the only one to ask a question is an elf.
"Your Highness, what exactly is a Darkspawn?"
"À creature from the underground ; we don't know where exactly they come from nor why they're coming to us. They are humanoid beings which seem to feast on corpses of all kind; their blood and presence is poisonous and causes, from what we have observed, hallucinations. Their intelligence seems limited : they're only known for killing, plundering and burning everything in their path, and don't make any elaborate structures. The bulk of their army is East, and the groups you're going to look for seem less organized and fewer. "
The meal goes on like every day : loud jokes and old stories are exchanged between the warriors, and although the Magister and the Commander have a big difference in ranks, they discuss like friends.

After everyone is done eating, the Commander begins forming teams of five.
"Buki and Xeecles, Sir Hayward, Sir Brightwood, you'll be guided by Elyndar." he says as he points towards the elf which had asked about Darkspawn. Sir Brightwood and Hayward, who happen to be the two knights in heavy armor who were training before, are also part of the group.
"You have one hour to detail the tactics to them, Elyndar. And make sure they don't have to complain about you - unlike last time..."
"Markus had it coming."
"That's no excuse. No more of this or you know what will happen."

Once the Commander is gone, he turns to you. "Well, as he said. Better get the tactics, quarrels and presentations done now than when we're here. I'm Elyndar. My specialty is poisons, and I'll guide you in the wilds. You?" he turns to both Neemus and Buki, not especially looking at any of both.

I look at him with a raised eyebrow. “Me?” I question with a mocking playful tone “I’m a simple sex slave turned mercenary because I killed my previous master by melting his flesh from his body.”