As an empire of dead men leave their graves

[whatisright]

Who: Justice and YOU
Broadcast: Yes
Action: Blameless and Iskaulit
When: After the glitches kick in.

[Video & Blameless Action, Day 1 of glitching]

--Gone, vile thing. [The communicator turns on as it's thrown against the wall. Loyalty the pygmy snow leopard paces in front of the camera, making loud unhappy noises and largely obscuring the vision of what's going on inside Justice's room (for it has to be Justice's room with Loyalty, right?). Justice's voice sounds different, so much so that it's not immediately recognizable, but it echoes strangely. When the camera can see past the pacing legs of Loyalty, it doesn't focus properly on the person standing in the room. It's like the camera can't quite register that there's a person there at all, but there's definitely an outline there, and it's definitely glowing blue.]

Muire! What did you do?

[Iskaulit Action, Day 3 of glitching]

[For those who don't know much about Justice, it's not clear that this is Justice. The spirit glows blue all over, and it wears ancient Tevinter armor that obscures its face entirely. Looking at it directly may provoke a headache--there's something about it that seems fundamentally wrong, like it's not supposed to be there, and if one looks at it long enough, it may start changing shape to better reflect the observer's vision of justice.

It is also incredibly tense, and its sword is drawn. It turns to the observer quickly, and in an androgynous voice, it says,] Speak, mortal, and tell me where I am.

[Iskaulit Action, Day 5 of glitching]

[It's official. Loyalty is literally the only indication that this is the same person anymore.

Justice walks the Iskaulit with Loyalty at heel, but this Justice looks nothing like people are used to. For one, this Justice appears to be a woman. For two, she has different armor, one that's older and sleek and resembles elven work with a long hood over her head instead of a helmet. Long, pointy ears are occasionally visible under the hood, but she's hidden her face with a scarf that hides everything except her eyes, which seem too sharp to be entirely human or elven. Her skin still glows blue, and she walks with a sword at her hip, and when she speaks, her voice still echoes, though it's considerably more feminine than usual.] Where have the dreamers gone?

[Some may recognize that she's speaking in Ancient Elvish, but the augments automatically translate her into Common, so does it matter?]

[Wildcard - Meet Justice on any day]

Comments

video. day 1.

[veilstrike]

... Justice?

[ It has to be him, if that's Loyalty, and she recognises his room, but... He doesn't sound right. Nothing about this seems right and Leilani is incredibly hesitant, feeling a weight on her chest that she doesn't even want to begin to think about. ]

Is everything okay?

[whatisright]

No, I am looking for someone. [Justice doesn't even turn towards the communicator, like it doesn't even occur to him to look for the source of the disembodied voice in his room. To be fair, in the Fade, it often is better to just accept that a disembodied voice is there than to try to find an explanation for one.]

[veilstrike]

[ None of this feels right. He won’t look at her, he hasn’t said her name, his voice is wrong - Leilani doesn’t know what’s happening, really, but she knows she doesn’t like it. The sense of dread and discomfort sinks around her and makes her edgy, like the first time she travelled through time or the first time she entered the Fade. Her eyes narrow as she watches him, unsure what to do with herself. ]

Who? Maybe I can help you.

[whatisright]

Reveal yourself and perhaps I will allow you to assist.

[Justice is no fool. He won't share Muire's name with just anyone. Gloom, fear, and anger are hungry, and Muire still isn't at a point where Justice would see her confront them alone.]

[veilstrike]

I'm on the device, Justice. Don't you recognise me?

[ Ouch. This hurts. ]

[whatisright]

No. Should I?

[Justice forgets a lot of things. He doubts this voice is a spirit, or else there would be no surprise that Justice can't recognize it.]

[veilstrike]

I... No. I suppose you shouldn't.

[ She sighs softly. ]

I am Leilani of Clan Lavellan.

Day 5

[bryces_pup]

[Between the odd video from a few days ago (she hadn't seen it until yesterday, so she hadn't bothered to reply) and the odd rumors swirling around of strange glowing people being seen about the fleet, Riona begins to piece together what's going on. And it's high time she found the culprit and got to the bottom of things.

Last she heard, strange people were spotted on the Iskaulit, so that's where she goes. And it doesn't take long before she sees Loyalty, obviously perturbed by what's going on. The cat lets out an aggravated meow. Riona approaches from behind, careful in her pacing as to not appear to be pursuing them.]

What do you mean by dreamers?

[whatisright]

[Justice turns to face the shemlen, brow clearly furrowed and pointed ears twitching, as though she were listening to something no one else can hear.]

Everyone. Everyone who is not my kind or a servant of the Earth.

[Her frown etches its way deeper into her glowing face, and Loyalty lets out another aggravated meow.]

Like you. You have been mutilated. Who did this to you, shemlen?

[bryces_pup]

[This has to be Justice. Loyalty hanging around is a give-a-way, but the tone and voice seal the inclination. Why Justice is an elf right now is beyond her, but she can sort that out later.]

Servants of the... you mean dwarves? And your kind being spirits? And what sort of spirit are you?

[She knows, of course, but she's treating this like she does if someone she knows from Thedas shows up but doesn't recognize her.

The remark about being mutilated leaves her a little taken aback. Confused, she looks down at herself, expecting to see some kind of injury she hadn't noticed.]

Er... no one? I'm not injured.

[whatisright]

Can you not feel what I am? [The fact that Riona doesn't instantly know seems to agitate Justice even more, her eyes narrowing as they focus on something no one else can see.] You are worse than mutilated. You are worse than blind and deaf. And you do not notice?

Even servants of the earthshakers know what they do not have. Someone must have cleaved you in half. It is not natural, the state you are in.

[bryces_pup]

[Riona frowns, trying to parse Justice's words through the alarm and confusion. She's no expert in spirits and the like, or even with magic, but the way Justice is making her sound...]

You describe me almost like one would a Tranquil. But I am no mage. I cannot sense spirits or anything of the like. Most can't, honestly. You speak of things I've never heard about. Earthshakers and whatnot. [Does she even WANT to know what that is?]

[whatisright]

I do not know what a Tranquil is.

[But if Justice did know, she'd say Riona was right on the nose.]

Everyone but the earthshaker servants can sense spirits. But you are... [She struggles, trying to find a word, but there is no appropriate word. It would be like having a word for the act of keeping one's liver in their body--it's just never been an issue that required an adjective.] It is as though you were cleaved from the realm of dreams entirely, and you can only feel in the material world. Like someone took your soul.

[The frown deepens, and finally Justice turns her gaze to their surroundings, at the other people in the Iskaulit.] But you are correct. It is not just you who suffers this condition. Something is terribly wrong. [As Justice tries to figure it out, she reaches into her pocket, pulling out the lyrium ring that Riona had given another version of her.] The earthshakers were defeated long ago, but it is only their power that I can imagine doing such a thing. Do you recognize this substance, at least?

[bryces_pup]

A Tranquil is a mage whose connection to the Fade has been severed. They cannot be possessed by demons, but it leaves them unable to cast magic or feel any emotion. I have never been able to cast magic, but I assure you I am able to feel.

[The more Justice goes on, the more concerned Riona gets. Where is all of this information coming from? What... is Justice talking about?] I dream in my sleep, as everyone but the dwarves do. We go into the Fade then. But I cannot enter it at will. Only a mage can, and even then it's... well. The last time someone physically entered the Fade [Discounting the Inquisitor because that's a complicated issue] it incurred disaster.

[There's so much to unpack and so much that's she still left confused on, but the ring? She knows that. It pains her that Justice doesn't recognize it, but clearly Justice isn't quite... itself at the moment. Or maybe- Riona's brow lifts a little. No, this is very much Justice. This is a past Justice. Just like she'd been a little girl again for some time, the same thing was happening to Justice. Or she was relatively sure that was what was happening. Even if Justice was having a "simple" loss of memory, it wouldn't explain why Justice was in this form or talking like this.

If she was right... how old was this form? Very, very old, clearly, but just how old? What did Justice remember?]

That's lyrium. It's mined from underground. It's a kind of mineral with... almost magical properties. I'm not an expert. But it's used for rune crafting, enhancing magical powers and the like.

Action | Day 3

[apurrstate]

[Largely, Anders had been settling back into routine now that he'd been awake for a couple weeks and the duties he usually tended to were all caught up. Now he found himself with some extra time and he was left meandering around the Iskaulit, his trio of snow leopards left to their own devices in a secure area of the gardens.

He was lost to thought when the hairs on the back of his neck and arms stood on-end. It was like a familiar presence but off enough to have him on edge and a tingle like electricity in his teeth.

He looked over to the presence just as their paths met and what was obviously a spirit turned to look at him.]

Maker. [What now? That chasm in him ached and the ruined edges of his soul reached out in a way he knew was all in his mind. His heart told him it was Justice, his eyes and ears weren't so certain.]

Not in the Fade, if that wasn't obvious enough for you already. Would you prefer a more broad, existential answer or something more physically specific?

[whatisright]

Just as I feared.

[Justice doesn't seem to recognize Anders at all. He doesn't put his sword away, but he doesn't move it in any way that implies he intends to attack. It seems to be more a precaution than anything.]

The Fade has been breached. I must have fallen through the tear. Do you know anything of this breach?

[apurrstate]

[Anders eyes the spirit but then rubs his forehead in his usual 'Whatever this is is probably going to stress me out' way.]

Sure...? Do you remember a tear in the sky or a flash of light? Or did you just suddenly show up here...maybe with bits of paper falling from the ceiling?

[Where was Justice to explain this in a spirit-y way when he needed him?]

[whatisright]

No. There was a swell of mortal suffering and the Veil was rent with blood. The souls of countless murdered elves flooded the Fade and living mages walked physically through the breach.

[Which, as one may predict, has really upset Justice. He's not one for unjust murder, let alone the unjust murder of thousands of people to fuel blood magic.]

Video | Day 1

[theirondragon]

[Okay, okay. Bull doesn't really...look like himself, either, but...but...]

...Asala? You okay, Buddy?

[He found pants that fit, though! That was a bonus!]

[whatisright]

[Justice seems to be meandering around the room, tasting the air and narrowly avoiding Loyalty underfoot, and it takes a moment before he responds.]

Was that directed at me?

[He's clearly distracted by something, and he only half cares about the answer.]

[theirondragon]

Nah, the other spirit.

[That's right, sarcasm flies over their heads sometimes.]

Yeah, you.

[whatisright]

There is no other spirit here.

[Yep. Sarcasm does not work well here.]

Why do you call me that?

[theirondragon]

You don't remember the talk we had, Asala? About how you're not just any Justice, you're this one and it needed a name?

[whatisright]

No, I do not, and I do not care to try to remember right now. I am looking for someone. She is too young to be alone and is liable to hurt herself or others if I do not find her.

[Justice is very visibly agitated, unable to really focus on anything other than wandering around, tasting the air for some hint of whoever it is he's looking for.]

[theirondragon]

Okay Justice. Look, you're no where near Thedas, which is where she probably is.

...unless you're talking about leilani. She's a mage, but she's not going to hurt anybody.