That had been the last thing Varric had uttered before the rest of his party had shoved themselves through the tomb door, sand whipping around them as the wind met backdraft and making him grunt, sheilding his eyes before he finally followed. He wasn't about to leave the Inquisitor, Sparkler, and the Kid alone to face whatever was inside alone, after all. They were his friends, and while he liked to pretend indifference he'd never backed down from thinking of them as his people. He was a Dwarf, and that was a loaded title to give to anybody.
Grunting in frustration he shoved against the door himself, stepping through and finding himself... in a forest?
What?
He froze for a moment. Bianca, heavy in his hands but always ready (bless her) raised immediately as a new and cool wind met his face, along with scents and sounds that belonged nowhere in a desert environment. There were trees, tall and green. There was a sky. The ground wasn't stone, but earth, and not sandy Earth.
Varric froze, then turned abruptly, but the door was gone.
"Shit," he swore, then looked around himself quickly, There was no sign of his friends, or anybody really. Not until a fat, furry gray thing chirpped at him irritably (was that a nug?) and took off into the brush nearby. Like he'd wanted to interrupt his business.
The wicked tipped arrow lowered as Varric took another few steps. This wasn't the Fade... or was it?
"I'm a Dwarf, why am I always finding myself here?" he uttered to himself in a soft growl, though his ears were perked for anything nearby. There was always something nearby, and it usually wasn't good. Otherwise, where was the story?
His steps moved along carefully, silently, until he heard a soft 'crunch' and felt his boot press on something that wasn't earth or twig. Jerking his foot back he turned swiftly, then looked down. A small.... tablet of some kind?
Varric stared at the slender black shape, noting the shine that almost denoted glass though it hadn't shattered underfoot. Weird.
Nothing happened though, so after a moment his natural curiosity saw his faithful crossbow settled up on his shoulder as he knelt and picked the object up, turning it over and studying it intently from all angles. There was no feeling from it, really. It was oddly weighted and he couldn't identify what it was made from immediately (weird) but he could tell it was probably several materials. There appeared to be buttons on one side, and one on the shinier glass side (also weird).
It was a device of some kind, to be sure. Varric took a deep breath and resumed standing, looking around and glimpsing some delapetated but foriegn structures in the short distance. They looked decidedly human, and in need of a roofer. And architect. Or maybe just tearing down.
"Inquisitor?" he finally made a short call, hearing nothing else but typical tree-sounds. He hated nature, he was a City Dwarf for a reason. When there was no response he turned again. "Sparkler? Kid??"
There was no reply except a chattering from what he hoped was the same little beast he'd stared down a moment ago. Varric heaved out a sigh, and looked at the object in his hand again.
"Too curious for your own damn good," he finally grunted at himself, pressing the center button on the flat side. He nearly shrieked and flung it as a square lit up in the middle, but with no other affects taking hold he managed to hold on and after the knee-jerk reaction he heard a voice coming out of a little hole in the top. He started, then against his better judgement placed the hole against his ear, catching most of what sounded like a letter writen out and left for... somebody.
"Hello? Hello!" he responded, then almost yelled at it, before falling silent and shifting uncomfortably. "Yelling in a weird magic place. Great plan, Tethras," he growled lowly, retreating off the back and behind some other shrubs. The furry not-nug had the right idea.
"A key..." he nearly barked a laugh, then frowned and quickly patted down his many pockets, starting when he found an object he hadn't placed in them. Taking out the large, heavy key he stared at it, then back at the shiny idol he'd picked up. His face was a picture of shock, then resentment, and then as always he forced a huffing grin and sighed.