Haven, or what was left of it. Everyone passed through the overgrowth of mountain flora of what was once grounds for the Inquisition during its formation days. A nostalgic silence lingered within the group as they trekked up the broken mountain paths toward a section of scarce ruined steeple and columns once part of Haven's chapel rooftop.
Anri led the way toward a section of mountain behind the known area. They entered a valley where the grounds were scorched rock and gnarled trees, barely hanging on for life. Another victim of Corypheus and his Red Templars battles, the effects of the darkspawn magister's onslaught on the Inquisition still lingering.
The sun lowered toward the horizon as the group carefully followed Anri's lead, not knowing where he was taking them nor bothering to ask the question. By now, they knew their elven leader enough to know he was never without a plan.
They followed him into a cave and down a small section of narrow tunnel where they stepped into a moist, stone dungeon area that was once Haven's chapel prison. A musky stench of moss and soil permeated their surroundings.
"It's still here?" Leliana gasped with mild amusement and breathed in the old, familiar stench.
She gingerly touched the dungeon's stone that felt solid and, no doubt, sung with a tale to tell. The fact that Anri had rediscovered the place after Haven's destruction must've been by Andraste's hand. But for what purpose? She had her suspicions and hoped they were right.
Anri gathered his trusted Inner Circle around a table he had positioned in the dungeon cells' open, central area. In the middle of the table sat a parchment scroll with an eagle seal. Charter gasped when she knew she had seen it before.
"My Lord Herald, is this the scroll of rubbings we took from the runes of the northern coast islands?"
He nodded and one-handedly unraveled the scroll, pressing it flat for all to see. Inside the parchment was an etching of ancient runes.
"I've never seen this writing before?" Dorian was bemused as he stroked his chin.
"It's some form of Alamarri, not Chasind or even Avvarr," Leliana knowingly answered. "Charter led a unit of Crestwood scouts to chase the trail of the old Haven Cult, which started here. The trail took them to some wild-growing northern islands of Ferelden."
"Interesting, what do the runes say?"
Charter was an unexpected sight for a spy. Most elves held a timely beauty, but Chater was exceptionally appealing with an innocent maiden calm, doe-like eyes, and pristine braided auburn hair: a beauty right up Iron Bull's alley. However, her harmless appeal combined with her keen intelligence and insights is what made her the perfect spymaster.
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She stoically peered at the scroll. "According to scholars, the runes refer to a splinter group of Alamarri called the Secta-Alar. It references them as being a group who refused to swear fealty to any single authority or royalty, choosing to live in-between tribes and traditions, but we found no more evidence of this group's existence."
Anri stepped back with a knowing grin.
"Wait? Are you suggesting we become like this Secta-Alar!" Cassandra gasped with realization, not hiding her excitement.
Sera burst with laughter. "I knew you had a plan up your sleeve! While the world thinks they've won and gets to go back to their nobby lives, we'll drop by later to stab them in the gut and rob them blind."
Anri chuckled, "Pretty much." His tone sobered into business. "The Secta-Alar left only one reference in the Ferelden North." He pointed to the scroll. "This was a purposed message of 'We were here.' As far as I'm aware, they still exist as Watchers across the sea."
He led conversations into his visions toward saving Thedas and what future he hoped to achieve. Adding that, not long after one of their Inner Circle had gone AWOL, he had planted seeds toward the Inquisition's disbandment, starting with Mother Giselle back at their old castle headquarters called Skyhold.
Naturally, gossip traveled, so by the time it came for the Exalted Council, Arl Teagan was at the Winter Palace with little confidence toward the Inquisition's disbandment: a welcome relief toward his country's border security. He wouldn't have stepped foot in Orlais otherwise.
Anri played on his concerns about the disbandment and people's expectations of him choosing to hold his power. Especially when the Inquisition reached every corner of Thedas, mildly as an influence for the Southern Chantry despite their stance as a neutral peacekeeping force. He carefully continued to plant seeds to hide his true purpose while aiding it at the same time.
"When did you start feeling you needed to change things?" Leliana calmly asked.
"The moment I sent Corypheus into the Fade. I didn't know what dangers we'd face next, but I knew it wasn't over. Someone gave him the elven orb, but I didn't know who back then. I had my suspicions and was sad to learn they were right." Anri sighed with a deep sadness for Solas's betrayal.
For the last two years, he held onto a naive hope that their elven mage friend, Solas, had to stay hidden to do some good, but he never thought the man would create his own rival order with the aim to destroy their world.
The revelation of Solas's plans made Anri realize that all his secret planning and stockpiling had been the right decision. Not even Dorian knew what he was doing every time he took a solo mission to the Frostback Mountains. No one did or questioned if they ever suspected something.
"Solas made me see a hard truth: to fight a shadow, you need to be one." Anri stared with a determination that had everyone's attention. "We need to be that Shadow from now on, moving in the dark to counter his moves before they reach the light. Like the Secta-Almar. So from now on, to each other, we are the Shadow Sect, who carries out the Shadow Mandate. But to everyone else, we're no longer carrying out duties as a whole."
He paused to let his words sink in with his friends. When no one responded but was clearly still thinking things over, he added, "If you want to walk away now, you're free to go. I only hope that you won't reveal this conversation to anyone."
"Ha! You say that, but you know no one here is going to say no." Varric wryly scoffed.
Charter soberly stepped forward and politely asked. "My Lord, would you tell us more about this Shadow Mandate?" Her eyes lit up with confidence and pride for her leader when he explained his plans and goals in great detail.
What resource did Anri choose to help him seal the Breach at the Temple of Sacred Ashes?
