The cavern opened into a maze of tunnels. Following the map Anri gave her, she eventually arrived at a dead end of a stone wall with dwarven runes etched across the surface.
"This better not be a way into the Deep Roads." She groaned, taking faith in Anri's words that it wasn't and no dark spawn should be around, but she was dressed in her rogue garb and carried her longbow and a full quiver of arrows on her back just in case.
She peered at the suspect dark samite pouch Anri had handed to her. The object felt slinky and cold to her touch, making her skin tingle with its magic that hummed with spirit whispers. Without opening it, she knew what was inside: keys her leader had gathered across Orlais and Ferelden during his travels. Some he had used at Solasan.
She glanced at the obsidian and granite stone door, which carried ancient dwarven runes steeped with old magic to make it a timeless relic. For Anri to find this undiscovered and be able to keep it a secret from his enemies and allies alike was impressive.
"He's Andraste's Herald, even if he continues to deny it." She smiled fondly as she used the keys to unlock the stone door, which parted with a slow grind to reveal a chamber entrance. The doors stopped with a jarring bang, which stirred up dust clouds and a heady smell of moss.
As she stepped into the vast and high old dwarven chamber, the air became sweet with floral notes and seed oil.
She meticulously pulled out a burner from her satchel to light one of the nearest pedestal cauldrons, which triggered light in others in the same row. She did the same on the other side, highlighting a straight path to the giant stone wall at the far end.
Her eyes darted from side to side as she walked up the path, seeing stone shelves on either side, stocked to the brim with scrolls, crafting materials, and tomes no doubt containing important secrets and favors. And there were thousands of them gathered. Anri had said he had treasures he wanted her to use to build the sect into a secret power, but she never imagined the amount he had stockpiled.
"He must've spent all his coins to purchase influence from the Power Broker and kept it hidden here. Some of the seals bear the mark of lineage, which would tie family generations to a recorded debt or favor. Oh, Anri, you sneaky rogue," she chuckled as she continued her approach to the stone wall.
And so the future of the Shadow Sect lay in her hands. He was taking a great risk in entrusting her with this power.
Her thoughts delved into memories of when she had first encountered Anri, who lay unconscious on a bedroll in one of Haven's cells.
Her first misguided impression of him was of someone innocent caught up in matters beyond his control. It wasn't long into his role as Herald that she realized how wrong her impression of him had been and why Clan Lavellan had sent him as a scout to the conclave.
As the Herald, he had stopped the Mage Rebellion and gathered a force to seal the hole in the sky, using Andraste as the common guide to shepherd her followers.
But it was when he became the Inquisitor that Southern Thedas bowed to him. His heroism sent a message across the lands that the status of elves was equal to humans. Especially when Morrigan's husband was a city elf who became the Hero of Ferelden and stopped the Fifth Blight.
Having two iconic elven figures of their time, humans harbored fears that one day soon the elven race would be their superiors. Anri was the scariest one of them all who could make it happen in their lifetime. He was able to play the Game, slip into the shadows, or strike hard and fast with a force of believers to shatter a proclaimed god. This versatility frightened his enemies the most. The man was unpredictable and cunning.
Standing in Anri's vast hoard of power waiting to be purposed made Leliana appreciate him as her leader. He was more than Divine Justinia could ever be, which was the highest praise she could give to anyone.
So, yes, the people had a just cause to be afraid, especially when Anri's game had shifted to much higher stakes.
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"Fortunately for the righteous reasons." She sighed with relief at his good heart.
It was fortunate that he and Dorian were in love with each other and remained by their sides in some shape or form. They would need each other to remain strong and righteous, especially Dorian, who was about to start a dangerous war within the Magisterium.
She stood before the enormous end wall made of silverite with fine streaks of lyrium, not enough to be poisonous. Set on the surface were columns of words in both the common and Elvhen languages. It must have been something Anri had done when he formed his plans.
She read the section of stone recorded as The Shadow Mandate.
Resonance from the deep,
Silence truths brought to light,
In the darkness, shadows gather,
Forming one hand of order and grace upon the corrupted, broken, and forgotten,
A nameless hand uplifting the right,
Bringing down the wrong,
The world sees the light and dark from the shadows.
And is blind to all.
Her heart raced, feeling empowered as she read the following passage beneath it. It was titled The Rite of the Unseen Hand. The fact that he, once a Dalish Elf, had acknowledged Andraste and the Maker; this devotion to them made her devotion to him stronger.
I am saved from the darkness that once bound me.
The Maker guides my shadow,
To be the nameless strength for the weak and innocent,
To be the unspoken charitable hand to the needy,
To be the merciless blade to the unjust and corrupted.
By the Maker's light and Andraste's grace,
My shadow is their means to bring order without want.
And peace is given to Thedas.
"Oh, Anri." Tears fell from her eyes as she felt a vulnerability from those words and wondered if he wrote this after resolving his doubts and pains from what he had learned of his own people's faith.
No one had asked what fears, sadness, and pain he harbored being the Herald of Andraste and the Inquisitor. No one dared confirm if learning the truth of his Elven gods was a concern to him. And he never complained nor said anything on the matter. Carrying his pain within himself so he could be the strength for others.
But, it seems, here he was able to seal himself away from the world's eyes and make his complaints, offload his burdens, and find his resolve. So this passage touched her deeply.
"He faced the dark times within himself and overcame them. Just as he helped me overcome mine. It must be why he asked me to come alone, to reassure me that all is well when I had my doubts." She wiped aside her tears, feeling her will resonating strongly with his vision and purpose.
"And peace is given to Thedas. Yes, that is what we shall do."
She found the blank parchment and quill he had left on the nearby writing table and began to write down the mandate and rite. Making sure she didn't misspell or capture passages incorrectly.
As she read back the Shadow Sect's vision and purpose, she let out a knowing chuckle.
His words had also effectively broken the last shackle of the Inquisition. No longer were they bound to kings, orders, or chantries, but they belonged to the Maker and Andraste themselves: an authority above men. In doing so, they were more powerful than the Grey Wardens. There was nothing that could overshadow them because they were only bonded to the righteous purpose. In remaining as a nameless shadow, the world wouldn't know any wiser.
Anri also left instructions for her regarding a demonstration of devotion.
The Shadow Sect's mandate and rite would be initiated through a Vigil of Devotion. The initiation would also remove or alter their former name and lives from all records. In the world of light, the everyday world, they would be stricken as either dead or retired or with a false identity so they could exist as a clandestine force. The example given was Anri's lie as a retired comte in Kirkwall with all Inquisition titles passed on to the Chantry in Divine Victoria's care.
There were also instructions for Cassandra and the others he had entrusted Leliana to pass down. Naturally, the Shadow Sect couldn't be as large a force as the Inquisition once was, but having it as a small organization of trusted, influential players who manipulated through the shadows, Anri would make the world tremble at his feet once again, and this time they wouldn't even know it.
He also gave Leliana a title as the Weaver of Shadows, who would control the chamber's secrets like a web network. With the hoarded secrets Anri had entrusted to her for the sect's rise, for the first time since the Exalted Council, she felt she could truly make Thedas better.
"Thank you, Anri; we will ensure Thedas's peace and stop the threats to destroy her." She bowed her respects to the wall, then spent time sifting through information she could work with first before leaving the chamber and sealing it, ensuring it remained a hidden and dangerous secret.
Without delay, she left for the Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux.