Aleron Darton (
lifeofendurance) wrote in
faderift2016-08-25 01:08 am
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[Closed] The Order's Obligations
WHO: Aleron Darton, Malcolm Reed, Inessa, Bruce Not-Banner, Cade Harimann, Ingrid Kief, Jeannot Mercier, Sadira, Bethany Hawke, npc templars.
WHAT: Templars have been asked to clear out suspicious mages squatting in the old Circle Tower. The group is sniffing out the truth.
WHEN: August 15-20 (Backdated a smidge)
WHERE: Perendale, Nevarra
NOTES: More information about the plot may be found here. A link is available on that page for the original war table wiki page. Feel free to inject any local npcs you like. IC signups are over here.
WHAT: Templars have been asked to clear out suspicious mages squatting in the old Circle Tower. The group is sniffing out the truth.
WHEN: August 15-20 (Backdated a smidge)
WHERE: Perendale, Nevarra
NOTES: More information about the plot may be found here. A link is available on that page for the original war table wiki page. Feel free to inject any local npcs you like. IC signups are over here.
The road to Perendale proves less than interesting. Dusty and bare rock, with the odd silver mine to break up the monotony of the road. A peculiar strain of goats are native to the area and they do not seem to care for strangers on the road. They express their displeasure by rushing the Inquisition's horses and butting them in the legs. Annoying, but thank the Maker, not so aggressive and violent to put an end to the travel days.
The road itself begins moving north through Orlais then turns west. There is something small of interest, however. Perhaps. If one is knowledgeable enough and paying attention. The houses en route have a markedly Orlesian style to them. The odd lion battles a dragon in statuary along the way. Clearly the territory used to belong to Nevarra's southern neighbor, lost in an ongoing squabble between the two.
Perendale itself manifests its Orlesian heritage all over the city. The main gates boast lions rampant, entrenched in battle against dragons. Residences and shops are painted in the same lively colors that one would expect to see in any number of Orlais' towns. Thus ends the similarity. There are no gilded masks anywhere to be seen on the occupants, however, the mode of dress is not outlandish. The accents rippling through the air are not of the lilting elision one hears in Val Royeaux, but far closer to matching that of Seeker Pentaghast. Even the smells wafting out of the local taverns are different, rich and spicy; not a whiff of some overblown perfume to be had. The streets are cobbled and moderately clean, at least in the better quarters of the city.
And off in the distance, just outside the city walls, stands the abandoned Circle Tower, with faint infrequent lights flickering in the windows.
Investigation
"It's best if we take some rest and acquire more information before we delve into lending our requested aid." He fixes a stern look at the youngest of the Templars to have tagged along. "There is to be no kicking down doors or impromptu interrogations. Well will acquire the full facts of the situation and make our decisions based on truth. Make whatever sleeping arrangements suit you and we will reconvene in the morning to discuss what we've learned."
It won't take long to piece together a full picture. The locals don't object to Mortalitasi, the good mages who tend their honored dead. It's those other ones who came from the tower and didn't have the decency to clear out when the others did. Stories of rudeness and extreme suspicion on the part of the citizenry are rampant. It wasn't good enough for the mages to just leave the streets and stay away from Maker-fearing good people. They went and hauled up in that tower of theirs and barricaded it. Andraste preserve them, everyone just knows they're plotting to burn the city down.
The oft repeated plea becomes, "Won't you do something about them?"
What's curiously absent in the gossipy people are any reports of mages taking action in defense of themselves. No fireballs, no walls of ice, not even a sharp word or a well-deserved slap across someone's face. If anything it's been people trying to go about their business, buying food, washing clothes, that are being run off from public spaces.
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She'll return to the inn to decompress a little before turning in for the night, picking a far corner. Members of the investigation are welcome to join her, she's just utterly done with talking to locals right now. Garahel plops down to pre-empt belly rubs by rolling onto his back.
In the morning, that cool demeanor remains as Inessa describes what she's seen and heard. Her arms are crossed, lips pressed into a thin line. "These mages have done no wrong. They have not gone out of their way to antagonize anyone, merely survive as best they can. And yet, everyone believes them to be on the verge of harming the city. The sooner we help them depart, the better."
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As he thanks the last person who he had spoken to he glances over to the Warden to see if she's done with her share of questions as well. He's gotten a fair bit of stuff on his end and it would be good to check things out with her just to make sure that the important things lined up with each other.
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"More or less, yeah." He settles himself down on a chair and places his bag down close to him. "All I've heard is stories of them maybe appearing in places where they might be better off to not be at, but certainly nowhere that's illegal or to warrant such immense reactions."
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"It's not hard to see why they feel that way." Magic and mages have always been dangerous, that much is certain. The fear is more often than not justified, but in this case-- "Their paranoia's gotten the better of them, though. Understandable, but it's not helping anybody in this situation." What they needed was probably some kind of plan that could somehow calm down the parties involved. Not exactly the easiest thing to do, especially in these current times.
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"You're a Warden," he points out instead, eager to shift the topic however he could. "I'd say that alone gives you a fair amount of rank." The Grey Wardens were still rather revered after all, so even if she didn't have much within the Circles her position as a Grey Warden still meant something to most.
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"A fairly new Warden and a fugitive from Weisshaupt at that, but...I hope that will still be enough." She smiles uncertainly; news of what happened at Adamant could have spread far for all she knows, painting a much less flattering picture of the Wardens. Hopefully the recent Blight and their part in ending it would still hold weight.
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Bruce sends back a smile of his own, trying to be reassuring. "Don't worry too much about it. I'm sure things will work out fine."
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Garahel barks happily, his tail thumbing against the floor. Reaching over, she scratches him behind the ears before straightening again.
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"They probably wouldn't take kindly to people marching up in the dead of the night anyway," he says after the mabari barks out loud. "Better to do it in daylight, where we can more easily show that none of us mean any harm to them." There was always something about the night that made people more paranoid and edgy than usual; Bruce has been there more than a fair few times.
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Investigation
Well that, and she wants to make sure he's taken care of properly. Eating, sleeping, affectionate hand-holding to bolster his spirits up.
The Help
That said, he effectively takes on the role of the Seekers' valet while they're traveling. Largely an unseen and unheard presence, he ensures the horses are cared for, he runs messages, he helps the party stay organized, and, naturally, continues to keep a log of the journey whenever he has time to sit and write.
He's put up in a small servants' room off the same hallway as Aleron and Malcolm, and is almost too vigilant in being at their beck and call. He doesn't resent it a bit; on the contrary, he seems almost to thrive in the role.
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Reading nearby, Inessa only glances over briefly to be sure his pestering isn't unwanted. If it is, she'll call him over.
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He gives it another light toss.
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From the side, Inessa looks up from her book and smirks a little at her mabari's antics. Such a spoiled, greedy thing. But she has to admit, he seems to have a knack for bringing people out of their shells. The Templar could certainly do worse.