Entry 03 of Neiko Hawke. Blood magic and Demons.

*I just received my nVidia GeForce GTX 460, so things just got really purdy =3*

I had received letters from some of my companions that wanted to talk to me, so I went over to talk to them. Upon entering Anders' clinic, Anders was talking to Isabela about healing a "disease". I can only imagine. Anyways, Anders talked to me about how he doesn't know how much longer he can sit by and just heal people when Templars are on the street taking other mages and turning them into Tranquils. He then explained to me that in the Fade, there is no time, only emotions. I guess that would explain why demons name's are all of emotions. Anyways, he was saying that Vengeance doesn't know when to wait, and when to act, and he is afraid something bad might happen if he loses control. He also told me that sometime soon, everyone will have to choose a side between the Circle and Apostates. I understand that, and I reassured him that I'm on his side. Merrill is an apostate too after all.

After that I talked to Fenris, and apparently the Mansion wasn't owned by the person who owned him earlier. Even though, his master still hasn't come for him in the last three years, so we're unsure of what his Motives are. He asked me what you do when you accomplish what you wanted, and I asked him what he was before a slave. He told me that he doesn't remember anything before the lyrium being burned into his skin, the pain burned everything away from before. I reassured him that we'll figure out something for him after all this is over, and we'll get through this together.

Solivitus, the apothecary in the Gallows asked me to find some more herbs for him for potions, and of course he said he will give me some for free, as well as pay for finding them, on top of a discount at the store. Emeric asked me to see if someone who he thinks is behind the murders of a bunch of women is guilty. He tried finding someone else guilty, but ended up just making himself a fool and being stripped from the case. I'm "technically" not on the case, but ya know.

Upon my entrance to Hightown we were ambushed by the Silent Sisters, nothing too special here. No mages = no problem for me. They tried ambushing us about 3 different times on the way to his mansion, and each time they just funneled to me where Anders and Merrill would use fireblast or cone of cold, while Varric would shoot tons of bolts for rain of arrows.

Upon entrance to his mansions, we were greeted by a bunch of Shades and a loud roaring Rage Demon. Nothing particularly hard here, so we moved on and would occasionally find some more shades. I was hoping for more of a fight.

Some of the most interesting things were found though, were a box of women's robes, some shipment information on "Creatures"... a note from the Templar Knight-Commander apologizing for Emeric, and then some vials of blood. Obviously it seems like Blood Magic is at work.

We ended up entering a room with a woman screaming for help, this mage tells me "This isn't what it looks like" I tell him to tell me what's going on now if he wants to keep his life, and he instantly starts telling me a story. Apparently his sister was killed by a blood mage, and he believes that he uses the women for some sort of ritual. The woman was saying he hurt him because he drew some of her blood thinking it would draw the Blood Mage here, but it seems like nothing is going on here. He told me to meet him in Darktown if I hear anything about the Blood Mage.

I went back to see Emeric and talk to him about my findings, but I found another Templar there in his place. She said the Emeric had just left not too long ago. She said that he was going to be waiting for me tonight, as per a letter I sent him.... But I never sent him a message... Odd.

Upon entering our "planned" meeting, that I had no idea about, Emeric was dead on the floor with large Shade over him. Obviously someone thought he was getting too close to this case. Not two seconds in to that fight a Desire Demon pulls herself out of the air and starts to throw spells all over the place. There were death hexes with burning shadows coming from inside them, and fire was everywhere. Eventually we were flanked by more shades, and Merrill was taken by surprise, and was almost instantaneously swarmed by shades and a Rage demon. Anders, Varric, and I all surrounded the Desire demon. I taunted everything around me with "Is that all you got? I desire a harder fight!" and instantly pulled my shield to block as much damage as possible. Anders used a fireball, and Varric used Rain of Arrows, and everything was dead except the Desire Demon. I then smashed her off her feet with my shield a good 5 feet down the floor, and then she was slaughtered by Varric in a pinning shot.

After that the female Templar showed up and started to believe what was happening with Emeric's case. I then told her about the mage I found in the mansion, and asked if this was his work. I wasn't sure, so I said that I wasn't going to believe he was at fault until I know for sure. We're so close to solving this... It's a shame Emeric had to die.