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faderiftorg2017-05-02 09:25 pm
frprojects) wrote in faderiftorg2017-05-02 09:25 pm
PROJECT: Hostile Powers
PROJECT
HOSTILE POWERS
The Warden coup in the Anderfels and Corypheus’ open occupation of Tevinter’s capital have left both nations openly opposed to the Inquisition and its efforts to restore order. The Hostile Powers project (previously a more broadly focused Northern Powers) is focused on identifying and exploiting opportunities to disrupt Corypheus’ control over those countries.
| ↠ Personnel | ↠ Reports | ↠ Archives | ↠ Inbox | ↠ Assignments |
| DIVISION: Scouting | LEADER: Kostos Averesch |
| STATUS: Active | ASST LEADER: n/a |
ASSIGNMENTS & MISSIONS
(frozen comment) Information
Tasks are long-term projects that any number of characters can sign up to help with. These will generally be sparse on details and heavily handwaved things that involve desk work—things like cracking ciphers or sorting through messages—that are mainly intended to provide some background flavor and a more solid idea of what your character is working on off-screen.
— Tasks will be assigned to multiple characters, basically whoever signs up for them, so you can use working on those tasks together to build CR, or you can say your character takes their part to their room and works alone because everyone else sucks.
— Tasks won't have specific, planned payoff—we won't tell you in advance that cracking a cipher will allow your characters to learn X. But future assignments might be based on information that would be gleaned from those tasks, and we'll give credit where it's due. E.g., a future assignment or mission might be like, "Thanks to Bobby and Ahmid cracking this code, the Inquisition knows that Nevarra is moving a shipment of bears into the capital and needs to intervene."
— You don't have to submit a report or specifically RP about the task.
— If the task gives you an idea for a player plot or something you want your character to discover in the process and spearhead something more in-depth regarding, that is so cool and I love you, please do it.
Assignments are mini-plots that will be given to one or two people to RP however they want sometime in a broad window of time. They usually won’t be complicated and won’t have huge individual impacts. The goal is more to give you guys work for your characters to be doing and talking about and new places to visit. Some specifics:
— The character or characters from Northern Powers who are tapped to take on an assignment can bring a couple additional people of their choosing, but they’ll be on the IC hook for poor judgment if they choose to take a known bull into a known china shop.
— You don’t have to RP the assignment itself. E.g., if it’s boring to RP your characters being on their best bland behavior for nobles, you can handwave that and just RP them drinking and venting in a tavern afterwards.
— You can make up small details that don’t have a material effect on the assignment—give NPCs names and personalities, add minor complications, etc.—but don’t do anything major, like deciding the whole thing is a trap and your characters are nearly assassinated, without checking in first.
— It’s fine if you don’t succeed! If you want your characters to fail at their objective then that’s RAD, I LOVE IT, and it might mean they succeed at something else they weren’t trying to do. On the other hand, succeeding might have unforeseen consequences. So just do what’s fun and IC.
— If you don’t file a report, it never happened.
Missions are larger and more plot-like and may have more specific requirements in terms of timing and outcomes.
Guardian–Drakonis 9:44
no subject
ASSIGNMENT(S): Anderfels Surveillance, Party in Perivantium
NOTES: Both/either would be second in priority to the phylactery plot for him, and he's... not the sneakiest or best at acting. But he tries.
no subject
WHO: Anders, Ciri, Nathaniel, Nell, and up to four more people—each of you can have a plus one, as long as either (1) they’re a reasonably appropriate choice for the mission or (2) we talk about it and work out why they’re being allowed to take an unreasonably inappropriate choice. Basically, don’t make my character look like an idiot for not telling yours they can’t take a boisterous drunk into a meeting with royalty or a helpless researcher into a war zone, and you’ll be good.
Nell is the only real Inquisition member so from an official Inquisition standpoint she’s in charge and responsible for reporting afterwards. Nathaniel would be in charge of the Warden participants and would be working with Nell in that regard (sort of like Iron Bull being in charge of the Chargers, etc.), and Wardens can file their own internal reports and all of that too if y’all want.
WHEN: IC it needs to happen before Drakonis 15. Try to get a report submitted by March 31. I think the mission itself should span 4-7 days IC, but in FR time is bigger on the inside, so you guys can squeeze it in wherever you want.
WHAT: The plan/orders will be to set up camp in a deserted, rocky, cave-y portion of the Hunterhorn Mountains and take short-term excursions past the border for surveillance, preferably using cover from low light or clouds/dust. Some of this can be by griffon, and some can be on foot. However they go about it, characters can find...
1. DEMONS: If your characters get close enough to Weisshaupt, they’ll notice two things. First, the fortress is still heavily damaged from the fire and fight during the coup, but in the process of being rebuilt. Second, its primary occupants are demons accompanied by very thin Wardens who are nonetheless going about activities such as eating and helping with repairs, overseen by a few robed figures. There’s also a large pyre within the walls, with a great deal of ash but no current activity. Your characters would be able to count about 75 individual demon/mage pairs, but that would only be the ones who were outside the walls during the time—no way to tell how many were inside or elsewhere.
2. DARKSPAWN: Well east of Nordbotten your characters would be able to see, even at a distance, a large accumulation of bodies and activity in the middle of nowhere, with a tainted dragon nearby. Getting close would obviously be difficult—and remember that darkspawn can sense Wardens just as much as Wardens can sense them! But even without getting close, it would be possible to estimate the presence of a 3,000-4,000 darkspawn in very close quarters, building shrines and otherwise going about their darkspawn business rather than rampaging anywhere. Depending on how close you get and the visibility conditions, characters might also be able to identify that most of the darkspawn are contaminated with what appears to be red lyrium, including a few ogres that closely resemble Red Templar behemoths. You do not have the manpower to do anything about it without being suicidal.
3. WARDENS & MILITARY ACTIVITY: In addition to the above, your characters can note that the Imperial Highway and other major roads are being guarded by members of the Ander national military, which seems to be under the command of uniformed Wardens. They aren’t a heavy presence in the countryside, but they may also pass through any villages used for item 4 below. Your characters can also find gibbets with a few uniformed Wardens and soldiers’ bodies and, by asking around, learn that they were hung for desertion or trying to leave the country.
4. LOCALS: Locals in the border villages will be typical Anders—conservative, devout, hardened by life in a blight-barren wasteland, etc. However, since it’s the border region, they’re used to travelers and won’t be too suspicious as long as your characters do a passable job of pretending to be merchants or otherwise nondescript travelers and don’t advertise who they are. Your characters can try to elicit their opinions on whatever you think is relevant. There will be a mix of people who believe the First Warden has gone power-mad and people who believe the Sixth Blight has started in the Anderfels and the Ander Wardens are the only ones protecting them while the rest of the world ignores them for its own problems. There will also be rumors about the Grand Cleric in Hossberg being arrested by the city guard for denouncing the First Warden, which will make even the people who are pro-Warden seem a little unhappy and uncomfortable. If there’s anything else plot-relevant you want your characters to ask about, get me a list and I’ll get you some answers.
Toward the end of the mission, someone will notice the snooping, and our best friend the red lyrium dragon will come after your characters, preferably in the air, because a griffon chase is awesome that’s why. The Wardens on the mission may hear faint unintelligible whispering reminiscent of the Calling, but as long as they get away and don’t linger near the dragon, it will be possible to resist. You can engage with the dragon to some extent if you want, but you aren’t allowed to kill it, so the end result should be escaping its range and possibly hiding in caves in the mountains for a day or two while it searches for your characters and the griffons overhead. Just a suggestion, though.
You can also add minor obstacles, like dust storms or skirmishes with enemy redshirts or losing all your rations to wildlife and having to hunt for food, as long as it’s nothing that’s going to fundamentally change the nature of the mission. If you do need to go way off-road or have bigger ideas, let me know and we’ll talk about it. E.g., you can’t go try to assassinate the First Warden, at least not without talking to me first so I can get you info or tell you how much trouble your character will be in.
HOW: You can make everything a group effort if you want, or divvy things up however you like. My suggestion would be to let each of the four characters on the team be the one to find/learn/lead the investigation of one thing on the list, since there are four things. And it doesn’t matter if you RP every aspect or just pick one or two parts that are the most fun and handwave the rest.
ETC: Let me know if you have any questions.
(no subject)
(no subject)
no subject
ASSIGNMENT(S): Anderfels surveillance.
NOTES: March is better for me.
no subject
WHO: Anders, Ciri, Nathaniel, Nell, and up to four more people—each of you can have a plus one, as long as either (1) they’re a reasonably appropriate choice for the mission or (2) we talk about it and work out why they’re being allowed to take an unreasonably inappropriate choice. Basically, don’t make my character look like an idiot for not telling yours they can’t take a boisterous drunk into a meeting with royalty or a helpless researcher into a war zone, and you’ll be good.
Nell is the only real Inquisition member so from an official Inquisition standpoint she’s in charge and responsible for reporting afterwards. Nathaniel would be in charge of the Warden participants and would be working with Nell in that regard (sort of like Iron Bull being in charge of the Chargers, etc.), and Wardens can file their own internal reports and all of that too if y’all want.
WHEN: IC it needs to happen before Drakonis 15. Try to get a report submitted by March 31. I think the mission itself should span 4-7 days IC, but in FR time is bigger on the inside, so you guys can squeeze it in wherever you want.
WHAT: The plan/orders will be to set up camp in a deserted, rocky, cave-y portion of the Hunterhorn Mountains and take short-term excursions past the border for surveillance, preferably using cover from low light or clouds/dust. Some of this can be by griffon, and some can be on foot. However they go about it, characters can find...
1. DEMONS: If your characters get close enough to Weisshaupt, they’ll notice two things. First, the fortress is still heavily damaged from the fire and fight during the coup, but in the process of being rebuilt. Second, its primary occupants are demons accompanied by very thin Wardens who are nonetheless going about activities such as eating and helping with repairs, overseen by a few robed figures. There’s also a large pyre within the walls, with a great deal of ash but no current activity. Your characters would be able to count about 75 individual demon/mage pairs, but that would only be the ones who were outside the walls during the time—no way to tell how many were inside or elsewhere.
2. DARKSPAWN: Well east of Nordbotten your characters would be able to see, even at a distance, a large accumulation of bodies and activity in the middle of nowhere, with a tainted dragon nearby. Getting close would obviously be difficult—and remember that darkspawn can sense Wardens just as much as Wardens can sense them! But even without getting close, it would be possible to estimate the presence of a 3,000-4,000 darkspawn in very close quarters, building shrines and otherwise going about their darkspawn business rather than rampaging anywhere. Depending on how close you get and the visibility conditions, characters might also be able to identify that most of the darkspawn are contaminated with what appears to be red lyrium, including a few ogres that closely resemble Red Templar behemoths. You do not have the manpower to do anything about it without being suicidal.
3. WARDENS & MILITARY ACTIVITY: In addition to the above, your characters can note that the Imperial Highway and other major roads are being guarded by members of the Ander national military, which seems to be under the command of uniformed Wardens. They aren’t a heavy presence in the countryside, but they may also pass through any villages used for item 4 below. Your characters can also find gibbets with a few uniformed Wardens and soldiers’ bodies and, by asking around, learn that they were hung for desertion or trying to leave the country.
4. LOCALS: Locals in the border villages will be typical Anders—conservative, devout, hardened by life in a blight-barren wasteland, etc. However, since it’s the border region, they’re used to travelers and won’t be too suspicious as long as your characters do a passable job of pretending to be merchants or otherwise nondescript travelers and don’t advertise who they are. Your characters can try to elicit their opinions on whatever you think is relevant. There will be a mix of people who believe the First Warden has gone power-mad and people who believe the Sixth Blight has started in the Anderfels and the Ander Wardens are the only ones protecting them while the rest of the world ignores them for its own problems. There will also be rumors about the Grand Cleric in Hossberg being arrested by the city guard for denouncing the First Warden, which will make even the people who are pro-Warden seem a little unhappy and uncomfortable. If there’s anything else plot-relevant you want your characters to ask about, get me a list and I’ll get you some answers.
Toward the end of the mission, someone will notice the snooping, and our best friend the red lyrium dragon will come after your characters, preferably in the air, because a griffon chase is awesome that’s why. The Wardens on the mission may hear faint unintelligible whispering reminiscent of the Calling, but as long as they get away and don’t linger near the dragon, it will be possible to resist. You can engage with the dragon to some extent if you want, but you aren’t allowed to kill it, so the end result should be escaping its range and possibly hiding in caves in the mountains for a day or two while it searches for your characters and the griffons overhead. Just a suggestion, though.
You can also add minor obstacles, like dust storms or skirmishes with enemy redshirts or losing all your rations to wildlife and having to hunt for food, as long as it’s nothing that’s going to fundamentally change the nature of the mission. If you do need to go way off-road or have bigger ideas, let me know and we’ll talk about it. E.g., you can’t go try to assassinate the First Warden, at least not without talking to me first so I can get you info or tell you how much trouble your character will be in.
HOW: You can make everything a group effort if you want, or divvy things up however you like. My suggestion would be to let each of the four characters on the team be the one to find/learn/lead the investigation of one thing on the list, since there are four things. And it doesn’t matter if you RP every aspect or just pick one or two parts that are the most fun and handwave the rest.
ETC: Let me know if you have any questions.
no subject
ASSIGNMENT(S): Party in Perivantium, Inquiry Observation
NOTES: partaaay
no subject
WHEN: Sometime in Drakonis. Try to get a report submitted by March 31.
WHAT: Vandelin (and his team, if he takes one) will be the delegation sent in answer to the Nevarran crown's invitation to observe the formal investigation into Caius Van Markham, who stands accused of orchestrating an assassination attempt over a decade ago that resulted in the deaths of Pentaghast's wife and child.
Despite the scandalous subject matter, the inquiry itself will be fairly dull: 6-10 hours per day of detailed testimony from witnesses regarding the whereabouts of various interconnected individuals, gossip about motive and exchanged messages, etc. Because of Van Markham's status and power, the Pentaghasts are being very thorough about building a case against him, and hoping that the Inquisition will attest to the fairness of the process.
For the most part it will appear to be fair. However, at one point an elven servant at the palace (perhaps trusting Vandelin because he is also an elf) will slip him a hand-drawn map to a particular secret passageway and a drawing of the moon near the horizon. Waiting in that passageway after nightfall will allow eavesdropping on some unseen individuals discussing their work for the Pentaghasts in assembling and bribing a few key witnesses—those that draw the most direct connections between Van Markham and the assassins, testifying that they saw him meet with them in person, for example, with clear views of everyone's faces, when other evidence is less solid. The speakers will not be particularly proud of this. But they genuinely believe Van Markham to be responsible for the attack, and believe that a solid case is necessary to prevent the Van Markham family from having grounds to claim otherwise and start a war.
You can add additional complications to this: almost getting caught snooping, people being rude because of the race/nationality/whatever else of various Inquisition members present, whatever else sounds fun to you. However, if you plan to do anything big—such as unveiling the bribery on the spot rather than bringing the knowledge back to discuss, or adding in assassination attempts or anything else that would be A Big Deal—let me know in advance so I can tell you what would change or need to be taken into account.
HOW: However you want! You can RP parts of the inquiry itself or use it as a backdrop while RPing stuff set in the Nevarran court or surrounding city, or just RP discussion about it, or whatever is the most fun.
ETC: Let me know if you have any questions!
no subject
ASSIGNMENT(S): Track Smugglers
NOTES: Korrin's focus is on the rifter/templar plague plot first and foremost, so depending on how long that goes on, I'll have to bow out of this. But if the timing works out, I'm on board.
no subject
WHO: Korrin, Fenris, and up to two more people—each of you can have a plus one, as long as either (1) they’re a reasonably appropriate choice for the mission or (2) we talk about it and work out why they’re being allowed to take an unreasonably inappropriate choice. Basically, don’t make my character look like an idiot for not telling yours they can’t take a boisterous drunk into a meeting with royalty or a helpless researcher into a war zone, and you’ll be good.
Kostos would put Korrin in official charge because she has some seniority and more familiarity with the area, so she’s the one on the hook for the formal report, but it’s fine to delegate it.
WHEN: Sometime before March 31/Drakonis 30. It can be an ongoing thing with multiple trips required or a single adventure or whatever else you guys want, but try to have a report in by March 31.
WHAT: Hunting down slavers! Starting with a few leads on individuals in Ayesleigh who were accused of kidnapping elves, humans, and a few Vashoth from the city’s poorer districts, but ultimately released due to a lack of evidence, your characters can tail them—or kidnap and question them—to make their way up a chain of slave suppliers and smugglers that stretches from Seere to Treviso. Whether they kill those who are involved or not will be up to them, though they would be politely asked not to leave a trail of carnage and brutality linked clearly to the Inquisition, since it needs to maintain a reputation for civility.
You guys can make up whatever NPC slavers/smugglers you want for this, mix detective work and finger-breaking in whatever quantities you want, and make it take three stops or thirteen. You can bust up a whole den of slavers and free their captives if you want, or not. You’re welcome to make things more complicated—almost get caught, chase scenes, trouble with city guards who have been bribed by the slavers, whatever else is fun.
All that’s really required is that the very top of the food chain ultimately point toward the involvement of Viliana Malafronte, an Antivan pirate captain. Malafronte will be at sea and unable to be captured or pursued at this time, without additional resources.
HOW: You can make everything a group effort if you want, or divvy things up however you like. And it doesn’t matter if you RP every aspect or just pick a scene or two that would be the most fun to write and handwave the rest.
ETC: Let me know if you have any questions.
no subject
ASSIGNMENT(S): Anderfels Surveillance, Track Smugglers, Party
NOTES: what is time anyway
no subject
WHO: Anders, Ciri, Nathaniel, Nell, and up to four more people—each of you can have a plus one, as long as either (1) they’re a reasonably appropriate choice for the mission or (2) we talk about it and work out why they’re being allowed to take an unreasonably inappropriate choice. Basically, don’t make my character look like an idiot for not telling yours they can’t take a boisterous drunk into a meeting with royalty or a helpless researcher into a war zone, and you’ll be good.
Nell is the only real Inquisition member so from an official Inquisition standpoint she’s in charge and responsible for reporting afterwards. Nathaniel would be in charge of the Warden participants and would be working with Nell in that regard (sort of like Iron Bull being in charge of the Chargers, etc.), and Wardens can file their own internal reports and all of that too if y’all want.
WHEN: IC it needs to happen before Drakonis 15. Try to get a report submitted by March 31. I think the mission itself should span 4-7 days IC, but in FR time is bigger on the inside, so you guys can squeeze it in wherever you want.
WHAT: The plan/orders will be to set up camp in a deserted, rocky, cave-y portion of the Hunterhorn Mountains and take short-term excursions past the border for surveillance, preferably using cover from low light or clouds/dust. Some of this can be by griffon, and some can be on foot. However they go about it, characters can find...
1. DEMONS: If your characters get close enough to Weisshaupt, they’ll notice two things. First, the fortress is still heavily damaged from the fire and fight during the coup, but in the process of being rebuilt. Second, its primary occupants are demons accompanied by very thin Wardens who are nonetheless going about activities such as eating and helping with repairs, overseen by a few robed figures. There’s also a large pyre within the walls, with a great deal of ash but no current activity. Your characters would be able to count about 75 individual demon/mage pairs, but that would only be the ones who were outside the walls during the time—no way to tell how many were inside or elsewhere.
2. DARKSPAWN: Well east of Nordbotten your characters would be able to see, even at a distance, a large accumulation of bodies and activity in the middle of nowhere, with a tainted dragon nearby. Getting close would obviously be difficult—and remember that darkspawn can sense Wardens just as much as Wardens can sense them! But even without getting close, it would be possible to estimate the presence of a 3,000-4,000 darkspawn in very close quarters, building shrines and otherwise going about their darkspawn business rather than rampaging anywhere. Depending on how close you get and the visibility conditions, characters might also be able to identify that most of the darkspawn are contaminated with what appears to be red lyrium, including a few ogres that closely resemble Red Templar behemoths. You do not have the manpower to do anything about it without being suicidal.
3. WARDENS & MILITARY ACTIVITY: In addition to the above, your characters can note that the Imperial Highway and other major roads are being guarded by members of the Ander national military, which seems to be under the command of uniformed Wardens. They aren’t a heavy presence in the countryside, but they may also pass through any villages used for item 4 below. Your characters can also find gibbets with a few uniformed Wardens and soldiers’ bodies and, by asking around, learn that they were hung for desertion or trying to leave the country.
4. LOCALS: Locals in the border villages will be typical Anders—conservative, devout, hardened by life in a blight-barren wasteland, etc. However, since it’s the border region, they’re used to travelers and won’t be too suspicious as long as your characters do a passable job of pretending to be merchants or otherwise nondescript travelers and don’t advertise who they are. Your characters can try to elicit their opinions on whatever you think is relevant. There will be a mix of people who believe the First Warden has gone power-mad and people who believe the Sixth Blight has started in the Anderfels and the Ander Wardens are the only ones protecting them while the rest of the world ignores them for its own problems. There will also be rumors about the Grand Cleric in Hossberg being arrested by the city guard for denouncing the First Warden, which will make even the people who are pro-Warden seem a little unhappy and uncomfortable. If there’s anything else plot-relevant you want your characters to ask about, get me a list and I’ll get you some answers.
Toward the end of the mission, someone will notice the snooping, and our best friend the red lyrium dragon will come after your characters, preferably in the air, because a griffon chase is awesome that’s why. The Wardens on the mission may hear faint unintelligible whispering reminiscent of the Calling, but as long as they get away and don’t linger near the dragon, it will be possible to resist. You can engage with the dragon to some extent if you want, but you aren’t allowed to kill it, so the end result should be escaping its range and possibly hiding in caves in the mountains for a day or two while it searches for your characters and the griffons overhead. Just a suggestion, though.
You can also add minor obstacles, like dust storms or skirmishes with enemy redshirts or losing all your rations to wildlife and having to hunt for food, as long as it’s nothing that’s going to fundamentally change the nature of the mission. If you do need to go way off-road or have bigger ideas, let me know and we’ll talk about it. E.g., you can’t go try to assassinate the First Warden, at least not without talking to me first so I can get you info or tell you how much trouble your character will be in.
HOW: You can make everything a group effort if you want, or divvy things up however you like. My suggestion would be to let each of the four characters on the team be the one to find/learn/lead the investigation of one thing on the list, since there are four things. And it doesn’t matter if you RP every aspect or just pick one or two parts that are the most fun and handwave the rest.
ETC: Let me know if you have any questions.
no subject
ASSIGNMENT(S): Anderfels Surveillance, Track Smugglers
NOTES: rattles bone from deep within void, aka i'm good with however it works for others
no subject
WHO: Anders, Ciri, Nathaniel, Nell, and up to four more people—each of you can have a plus one, as long as either (1) they’re a reasonably appropriate choice for the mission or (2) we talk about it and work out why they’re being allowed to take an unreasonably inappropriate choice. Basically, don’t make my character look like an idiot for not telling yours they can’t take a boisterous drunk into a meeting with royalty or a helpless researcher into a war zone, and you’ll be good.
Nell is the only real Inquisition member so from an official Inquisition standpoint she’s in charge and responsible for reporting afterwards. Nathaniel would be in charge of the Warden participants and would be working with Nell in that regard (sort of like Iron Bull being in charge of the Chargers, etc.), and Wardens can file their own internal reports and all of that too if y’all want.
WHEN: IC it needs to happen before Drakonis 15. Try to get a report submitted by March 31. I think the mission itself should span 4-7 days IC, but in FR time is bigger on the inside, so you guys can squeeze it in wherever you want.
WHAT: The plan/orders will be to set up camp in a deserted, rocky, cave-y portion of the Hunterhorn Mountains and take short-term excursions past the border for surveillance, preferably using cover from low light or clouds/dust. Some of this can be by griffon, and some can be on foot. However they go about it, characters can find...
1. DEMONS: If your characters get close enough to Weisshaupt, they’ll notice two things. First, the fortress is still heavily damaged from the fire and fight during the coup, but in the process of being rebuilt. Second, its primary occupants are demons accompanied by very thin Wardens who are nonetheless going about activities such as eating and helping with repairs, overseen by a few robed figures. There’s also a large pyre within the walls, with a great deal of ash but no current activity. Your characters would be able to count about 75 individual demon/mage pairs, but that would only be the ones who were outside the walls during the time—no way to tell how many were inside or elsewhere.
2. DARKSPAWN: Well east of Nordbotten your characters would be able to see, even at a distance, a large accumulation of bodies and activity in the middle of nowhere, with a tainted dragon nearby. Getting close would obviously be difficult—and remember that darkspawn can sense Wardens just as much as Wardens can sense them! But even without getting close, it would be possible to estimate the presence of a 3,000-4,000 darkspawn in very close quarters, building shrines and otherwise going about their darkspawn business rather than rampaging anywhere. Depending on how close you get and the visibility conditions, characters might also be able to identify that most of the darkspawn are contaminated with what appears to be red lyrium, including a few ogres that closely resemble Red Templar behemoths. You do not have the manpower to do anything about it without being suicidal.
3. WARDENS & MILITARY ACTIVITY: In addition to the above, your characters can note that the Imperial Highway and other major roads are being guarded by members of the Ander national military, which seems to be under the command of uniformed Wardens. They aren’t a heavy presence in the countryside, but they may also pass through any villages used for item 4 below. Your characters can also find gibbets with a few uniformed Wardens and soldiers’ bodies and, by asking around, learn that they were hung for desertion or trying to leave the country.
4. LOCALS: Locals in the border villages will be typical Anders—conservative, devout, hardened by life in a blight-barren wasteland, etc. However, since it’s the border region, they’re used to travelers and won’t be too suspicious as long as your characters do a passable job of pretending to be merchants or otherwise nondescript travelers and don’t advertise who they are. Your characters can try to elicit their opinions on whatever you think is relevant. There will be a mix of people who believe the First Warden has gone power-mad and people who believe the Sixth Blight has started in the Anderfels and the Ander Wardens are the only ones protecting them while the rest of the world ignores them for its own problems. There will also be rumors about the Grand Cleric in Hossberg being arrested by the city guard for denouncing the First Warden, which will make even the people who are pro-Warden seem a little unhappy and uncomfortable. If there’s anything else plot-relevant you want your characters to ask about, get me a list and I’ll get you some answers.
Toward the end of the mission, someone will notice the snooping, and our best friend the red lyrium dragon will come after your characters, preferably in the air, because a griffon chase is awesome that’s why. The Wardens on the mission may hear faint unintelligible whispering reminiscent of the Calling, but as long as they get away and don’t linger near the dragon, it will be possible to resist. You can engage with the dragon to some extent if you want, but you aren’t allowed to kill it, so the end result should be escaping its range and possibly hiding in caves in the mountains for a day or two while it searches for your characters and the griffons overhead. Just a suggestion, though.
You can also add minor obstacles, like dust storms or skirmishes with enemy redshirts or losing all your rations to wildlife and having to hunt for food, as long as it’s nothing that’s going to fundamentally change the nature of the mission. If you do need to go way off-road or have bigger ideas, let me know and we’ll talk about it. E.g., you can’t go try to assassinate the First Warden, at least not without talking to me first so I can get you info or tell you how much trouble your character will be in.
HOW: You can make everything a group effort if you want, or divvy things up however you like. My suggestion would be to let each of the four characters on the team be the one to find/learn/lead the investigation of one thing on the list, since there are four things. And it doesn’t matter if you RP every aspect or just pick one or two parts that are the most fun and handwave the rest.
ETC: Let me know if you have any questions.
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ASSIGNMENT(S): Track Smugglers
NOTES: Breaking slaver fingers you say?
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Cloudreach 9:44
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ASSIGNMENT(S): Party in Privantium, A Favor for a Favor
NOTES: If Marisol gets one of these she might also use the opportunity while in Tevinter to continue her research into the Nevarra situation and see what she might be able to find out there
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ASSIGNMENT(S): A Favor for a Favor
NOTES: he is SO THERE for busting people out of Tevinter.
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Justinian–Solace 9:44
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TASK(S): 4
ASSIGNMENT(S): Nevar Gonna Run Around, Get Shorty
NOTES: Her ongoing Nevarra investigation would be fun to wind in to Nevar, but her connections in smuggling and Rialto generally could be handy for Get Shorty.
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TASK(S): 3
ASSIGNMENT(S): Te Vene or Not Te Vene, Get Shorty
NOTES: N/A
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TASK(S): 1
ASSIGNMENT(S): Te Vene or Not Te Vene
NOTES: Has a lot of current contacts and cultural knowledge from as recent as the tourney, Formally Educated in Tevene like a fancy boy
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TASK(S): 1
ASSIGNMENT(S): One Way or an Orther
NOTES: For the moment, I'm wide open.
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Re: Justinian–Solace 9:44
TASK(S): 3
ASSIGNMENT(S): Get Shorty, One Way Or An Orther
NOTES: N/A
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