01x01 - A Woman Unseen

[bunniefuu]

Watch it.

Amateurs.

Now you know I hate
to question your decisions, Miriam, but...

Do I look like the kind of fool
dumb enough to storm a mage tower?

They were Dolph's idea.

You mean he wants those idiots
and the two of us

to fight our way
through that entire building,

steal a case of lyrium
and fight our way back out again?

What's your plan?

Bribed the washer woman.

All we really needed
were a couple of mage robes

and, uh, you know,

a distraction.

Dolph will be livid.

Yeah. Probably.

Stupid, blasted Kn*fe-ear!

Just couldn't stick to the plan,
could ya, elf?

Always so sure you know better.

I got the lyrium, Dolph.

Yeah, and got three recruits jailed,

including my nephew.

If they couldn't get past two guards,
they never could have taken a mage tower.

Hey, it's me you're angry with,
not Roland.

Yeah, damn right, I am!

You know, half my men seem to think
you are the one in charge here.

And he's the worst.

You're still the boss.

I hope we are not interrupting anything.

Sapphira?

Hey, Miri. You kept the scarf.

No. No! You don't just get to...

- I know.
- Not after you just left.

- I'm sorry, but...
- I don't care about your apologies.

Please, not here.

Who are you?

Ah, sorry about that.
They, uh, have history.

We are the ones
that commissioned this little robbery.

Oh, Master Fairbanks.
So nice to finally meet you in person.

- Uh, sorry about...
- No apologies necessary.

The lyrium was only to see
if you were as good as Hira promised.

And you are. Uh, both of you.

Which is why
I'd like to offer you both a job.

Hey! Customer or not,

nobody does anything in Dolph's Daggers
without Dolph's say-so.

I suggest you take it.

You see, I already told the City Guard
where to find the missing lyrium.

The entire garrison
is on its way right now.

You did what?

k*ll him! k*ll them all!

Both of you, stay down.

This isn't about you, Miriam.

- Stand aside.
- No.

The Guard is coming, Hasem.

Your children need their father,

and I will k*ll every one of you
before I let you touch her.

I swear it.

Do you understand me?

Do you understand?

Daggers, move out.

No, no, no! She is not the boss! I am!

Finish them off!

Next time, aim a little more to the right.

Seems like a good time for a new venture.

Miriam! Wait.

You were magnificent, you know that?

Not enough to stop you
from leaving me to join the Inquisition.

I asked you to come.

But there was
a demon-spewing hole in the sky.

Somebody had to stop it
from destroying the world.

But you didn't!

The Herald of Andraste sealed the breach.
They k*lled Corypheus.

People like us
don't change the world, Hira.

Because people like you never try!

Listen, I know I'm asking a lot,

but the Inquisition gave me
one last mission before it broke up

and I need your help to do it.

And after this,
we can go to the Hinterlands

and make cheese for all I care,

so long as we're together.

What's the job?

Let's meet the rest of the team first.

Roland, Miriam, this is Qwydion,

a rebel mage and a talented healer.

And that's Lacklon.

Lord of Fortune and a talented...
whatever the opposite of healer is.

I'm not like a real rebel, you know.

My passion is more elemental magic,
like explosions.

But people pay you more to blow stuff up
if it's for something they believe in, so...

Nice to meet you.

Eh, we'll see, right?

Three experienced fighters,
two mages, and yourself?

This job must be dangerous.

It is.

Before the Inquisition ended,

we learned the Tevinter Chantry
was in possession of an artifact.

The Circulum Infinitus.

What's a Circu, whatever it is, do?

No idea. I'm not a mage,
but in the words of Cassandra Pentaghast...

It does not matter.

All you need to know is that it is
an extremely dangerous artifact

fueled by blood magic.

And I, for one, cannot recall any good

coming from something powered by m*rder.

The Inquisition told Hira and I
to steal the Circulum

and deliver it to Orlais.

We tracked it to an old summer palace
belonging to the Tevinter Divine,

the head of their faith.

It's being studied
by a Magister named Rezaren...

Ammosine.

Know this guy?

And the palace is in the city of Nessum.

That's why you needed me.

Yes, but only because
there was no other option.

We have a very small window of time.

You're the only person outside Tevinter
that's ever been in that building.

You know its layout, its defenses.

You're our only hope
of pulling this off, Miriam.

Will you help us,

please?

No.

Miriam, wait.

I told you
I never go back there and...

...yet here you come,

spinning a fairy tale
about our happy cheese-making future

just so you can use me.

You're right. I should have told you
everything, and for that, I'm sorry.

But I think you might need this mission
as much as I do.

You have to stop
running from the past, Miri.

If you can't do it now,
I worry that maybe you never will.

And I can't live like that.

I won't set foot in that place.

And I'd never ask you to.
Just show us a way in.

Let me help you
take something back from those bastards

and we can live happily ever after.

Together?

Together.

It's easy to think
Tevinter is the same as any other country.

But it's not.

Magic rules there,
and those who have it rule everyone else.

The Templars don't protect people
from mages who turn evil.

Instead, they act as enforcers
for powerful mages called Magisters.

They have their own religion,
the Imperial Chantry,

and their own magic-wielding Divine
to lead it.

Qunari are hated,
and most elves live in outright sl*very.

Blood magic, raised corpses, and demons
may be frowned on officially,

but Magisters are the officials,

so they tend to turn a blind eye
towards anyone with power.

Since we're robbing The Divine himself,
well, let's stay on our toes, huh?

I sh*t you not.

It was just a hairy nug the whole time.

I can get up by my damn self.

You wanna help?
Tell the world's tallest elf to slow down.

Hey, man, you can't blame someone
for not wanting to spend a lot of time

in a country that enslaved her.

Sh.

What? Isn't she a runaway?

Don't be dense.

Fairbanks would never
be stupid enough to hire a runaway. Right?

She's an elf from Tevinter.

I've left it at that.
I suggest you do the same.

You can't be serious.

What if Little Miss Wayfinder's
still being hunted?

What if she loses her nerve
as soon as she sees home?

Watch your tongue, dwarf.

Whatever I am, I've survived things

that make the deep roads
look like a pleasant stroll.

And I assure you,
you'll lose your nerve long before I will.

So lengthen your stride
and shut the f*ck up!

Whoa.

That hurt me a little.

Blasted elfin hearing.

Hmm...

What are you smiling at, horn-head?

If you don't take him, I will.

Wow, it's beautiful.

So is a mage's staff
right before it sh**t fire at you.

Hold. State your business.

Ah, my wife and I are from Carastes.

She has bellows cough,

and we're following the Pilgrimage
of Divine Adnias with our servants

in hopes that she might be healed.

Any elf must post a five-gold bond
in case they break the peace.

Wha... Five gold?

Uh, ow!

Light of the Maker shine upon you.

And you as well.

Uh, a month's wages
to get through the gate?

They might as well just rob us outright.

We won't be here for long, okay?

Uh, I know. It's just...

...every breath I take here
is one too many.

Well then,

we should get to work.

They may call it a summer palace,

but it's actually three
different structures joined together.

The cathedral is at the top.

No way in there
except from the palace itself.

Below that, the whole place
is a maze of secret passages,

easy to get lost in.

And it's all built
atop a sealed temple to the old gods.

It'll take time to find a way in.

Don't worry. I've got a place.

I'll need
all the time you can give.

The furniture is all High Imperium,
of course,

and the estate features
a generous private courtyard

that I'm sure your bride will love.

If the smuggler routes
are closed,

there are discreet ways
into the palace itself.

You mean one of the Divines
was involved in something illicit?

I am shocked.

Even if this Divine isn't,
they could still be usable.

I don't like the sound of "could."

Well, neither do I, but I'm not
the only one with a job to do, am I?

You're right.
We'll strike during the evening service.

- Qwydion and I...
- The magic mavens.

Will ensure everyone in the cathedral
stays put during the robbery.

I mean, naturally,
but that's gonna take a lot of magic.

So, uh, we should stock up
to be safe, right?

I mean, we don't want to run out
in the middle of things.

Don't you think a Qunari
buying a small arsenal of magic weapons

might attract some attention?

Oh, it's not about attracting attention.

It's about what kind.

Yes, can I help you?

Oh, I certainly hope so.

My master is new in town
and he sent me to fetch

lyrium, healing potions, knockout powder,
arcane grenades of all kinds,

and, um, everything else on this list.

What in the name of Andraste
does he need all this for?

Two words. The Blight.

Master barely survived the last one,

and his bad knee
says another one's on the way.

Oh, yeah.

And if you think I'd let
a bunch of mindless, murderous monsters

touch a hair
on that sweet bald head of his,

you've got another thing coming.

You know, I have some more exotic
defense items in the back.

Show me.

Where exactly
do Lacklon and I fit in?

Ain't it obvious?

We're the muscle.

You take out the guards
and watch my back in the vault.

Not to mention,
make sure everyone else gets out alive.

I need you both in perfect sync.
Think you can handle that?

If you're trying to distract me,
it won't work.

Besides, your girlfriend's
still got to find a way into the palace.

Hmm?

I don't have a girlfriend.

Let's remember, it all means
precisely squat if we can't find a way in.

I'll find it.

I will.

You're in my seat, elf.

There a reason for that?

I'm sorry, is this more important
than listening to me?

Of course not, sir.

Apologies.

We have a problem, friend?

Yes, I think this elf's a runaway sl*ve,
with stolen property no less.

That's not true, sir.
Please, don't turn me in to the guard.

Sorry, elf, you're coming with me.

Oh. Hey!

Keep walking.

They can't look at the plans.

Fair play on that one.

If you share her, I can pay you for it.

I don't like your implication, friend.

Ugh, don't tell me you care
about some bat-faced bitch's honor!

Huh.

Guess I do.

Let's go! Come on!

Mm.

Hey, Lacklon! Catch!

Ha ha!

Oh... What...

What happened here?

Half-off sh*ts.

And boom, down they went!

You know, my wife's right.
I just can't stay out of trouble.

Can you just stop?

You think you're all heroes,
punching a couple of drunk Tevinters?

You...

You think that did anything
except risk our mission?

Neither did I.

Come in.

Do you want to talk about it?

Because the bar fight might not have been
the smartest idea, but...

I figured out a way into the palace.

That's... That's great.

Fairbanks, get in here!

What's wrong?

Everyone okay?

Miriam found a way
for us to get into the palace.

The only way in.

It's me. There's an old escape tunnel
intended for The Divine himself.

I cleared the outer entrance,

but the inner one
can only be opened from the inside.

No. You do not have to do this.

Oh, trust me,

I don't want to, but...

you all stood up for me.

In the stupidest way possible,
but you did it,

and that means something.

Besides...

I really want that cheese farm.

If you don't come back,

I'll k*ll you myself.

Up-up-up. Don't use them all at once.

That's more your problem
than mine, ain't it?

Thank you.

Just be there.

Where do you think you're going?

This has to be finished before...

Forgive me. On your way.

Come back later.

Hey, I said...

We're in.