#yaaaaay neve :D

[blackjackkent]

First combat went fairly easy peasy. Light attack mechanics, a sort of parry or deflect key, and access to three health potions (which I am able to refill by Legend-of-Zelda-ing a nearby pot). Helena is loaded up with two daggers with which she cut up the demons; so far I'm button mashing a bit, but it feels pretty smooth overall.

Onward to Dumat Plaza!

Shoutout to this pack of rats scurrying along the street into a nearby hole, which is kind of a nice touch.

"I don't get it," Helena says as they continue on. "If Solas tears down the Veil, doesn't that destroy everything?"

(A/N: I know we're having this conversation for exposition reasons but it is funny to me that Helena never thought to ask this question at any point previously in her association with Varric.)

"Solas always talked about how beautiful the ancient world was," Harding says sadly.

"That world existed before the Veil," Varric says flatly, "and he wants to bring it back."

"Even if his ritual kills us all in the process," says Harding.

-----

There are massive explosions happening further down in the city.

"YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF IMPERIAL ORDER!" bellows the amplified voice from the Ring. Privately, Helena reflects that this is probably not going to cause anyone involved in the situation to change their mind about anything.

"Oh, no," Harding whispers. "I think that's Dumat Plaza."

Was, Helena thinks.

(A/N: It is a little funny coming to this having only played as a Southern Thedosian previously; wasn't Dumat the first archdemon? :P )

-----

Highlights of the trip to Dumat Plaza:

The Venatori of course show up, and are displeased with Helena for having "made trouble at the bar." Look, don't kidnap people if you're not willing for people to come looking for them.

We have to smash a bunch of crystals down in order to break down a forcefield the Venatori erected. A smidge unclear why they are blocking routes through the city; presumably they're not supporting Solas's plot? Maybe they're just trying to take advantage of the chaos.

Varric: "Friendly bunch of cultists, aren't they?" Helena: "We used to fight these assholes every day in the Shadow Dragons." Varric: "Glad you kept up practice!"

Whee!

"They're allies of Neve Gallus!" one of the Venatori shouts as we approach the giant magical dome protecting the entrance to Dumat Plaza. "Kill them all!" Still VERY unclear what the Venatori game is here, but they're clearly not happy with Neve or us.

We gain a new ability, "Static Strikes"; Rook builds up a class resource in combat ("Momentum" for Rogues) which then can be spent to execute abilities, such as this one which shoots lightning through Helena's daggers. This is absolutely something that she is super proud of and thinks looks badass, and she's disappointed Varric and Harding aren't paying enough attention to comment on it.

The prompt to press Tab to open the abilities wheel gets stuck on the screen so that I have to reload.

"Varric Tethras!" one of the Venatori shouts. "The Venatori own these streets!" So maybe this is just a pissing contest that the Venatori have decided to have in the middle of the apocalypse. :P Certainly a choice, if so. I'm guessing Helena is pretty incensed hearing this; like hell they do.

Once the last crop of Venatori are dead, we can take a look at this magical dome, which turns out to be made of ice. Harding says it is probably Neve's work, which seems promising.

It collapses open as Helena puts a hand to it, and she peers past the opening to see...

Several frozen and very dead Venatori, and one alive and deeply unruffled looking woman with a prosthetic leg and a mortarboard hat, tapping the ash off of a long, thin pipe.

"Varric. Harding," the woman says in a sardonic contralto. "Not the worst timing."

(A/N: 👀👀👀👀👀👀 )

"Neve!" Harding breaks into a wide smile as they cross the fallen barrier. "It's so good to see you! We thought the Venatori had kidnapped you.

"They thought the same thing." Neve smirks, pulling her dagger (scepter?) out of the back of one of the dead men sprawled on the ground. "A lot of Venatori in this city have reason to hate me. Figured I'd play along, find out who wanted to settle the score this time.

Her prosthetic makes a heavy metallic clink-clink on the iced-over dampness of the stone as she turns to lead them through the ruins of the Plaza and into the buildings on the other side. "Then the sky started raining demons," she goes on acerbically. "So I'm back on the job."

(A/N: I like her. :P I suspect she and Helena are gonna be buddies.)

"Appreciate it. Rook, this is Neve Gallus," Varric says with a nod back over his shoulder at Helena. "Our local expert. She's gonna help us find Solas. Neve, meet Rook - both of you have done some work for the Shadow Dragons."

"Isn't that a coincidence?" Neve grins over her shoulder at Helena, and Helena gets the distinct sense that the detective knows more about her than she knows about herself.

"Some old friends said if I was working in Tevinter, the Shadow Dragons are worth trusting," says Varric.

Helena is wracking her brains trying to remember if she ever heard anything about this woman working with the Dragons. But nothing comes to mind; clearly it was business Helena wasn't privy to. But any friend of the Dragons is a friend of hers, particularly if that friend kills the blood mages infesting her city.

"Nice to meet you!" she says cheerfully. "Based on the Venatori, you've got excellent taste in enemies."

Neve quirks an eyebrow over her shoulder. "I do my best." Her tone is still a low drawl, like she's always just on the edge of a barked, sardonic laugh without quite voicing it.

"You said you had a lead?" Harding asks.

"I haven't seen Solas in person," Neve says crisply. "But I did find hints of old magic, similar to what you get in elven ruins. I traced it to a building beneath Our Lady of Victory."

She comes to a halt, gesturing at the enormous stone statue rising up into view ahead of them.

"That's where your man is hiding."

"Then let's go," Varric says grimly. "Before this ritual he's doing gets any worse."

Neve shoots him a sideways look. "Worse?" she quips. "This ritual is already drawing more power than I'd expect from a dozen mages. You told me he was working alone." There's a subtle rebuke in her voice now.

"I also told you he was an ancient elven god," Varric says dryly.

Neve grunts thoughtfully. "An elven god." She considers a moment, then grips the hilt of her staff. "Well, whatever he is, he's causing trouble in my city," she says, striding forward. "Let's go."

Helena grins. Oh, I like you, she thinks, breaking into a trot to catch up.