faderift | player plot: thorns of the rose (3)

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player plot: thorns of the rose (3)

WHO: Andra, Athos, Maria, Obi-Wan, Samouel, Sherlock, later guest appearance from Zevran (closed.)
WHAT: Gathering rare herbs, slam poetry night with a tree, and other things.
WHEN: Departing 23rd and returning 30th Justinian
WHERE: Orlais, mostly
NOTES: This is one of the missions for the Thorns of the Rose player plot. Potential themes of death and attempted murder, also violence, ORLAIS and all that implies, other things to be added as necessary. If something heavy comes up in a thread that isn't mentioned here, please add relevant warnings to the subject line. ALSO images everywhere in this because I'm ridiculous.

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Their path is not direct, unfortunately. They are gifted with two separate journeys, though the first takes them to Val Royeaux.

On the journey the Val Royeaux the weather does not favour them. Early summer showers that leave a person chilled, never mind the season, turning the road slick and muddy. They do not encounter apostates or templars, but the trip is not easy - the tensions in the War of the Lions are escalating, and no one easily trusts strangers if they need to purchase supplies along the way. There are two separate skirmishes with bandits.

They have been loaned some finery for one part of the mission, and have a safehouse secured in Val Royeaux so they can make themselves presentable and pass for what most of them are decidedly not. The house itself seems to be nothing remarkable - respectable enough on the outside, functional on the inside, presumably a stopping place for Leliana's agents. There is plentiful food there, the aforementioned finery and masks, and a couple of truly spectacular chandeliers that are not entirely in keeping with the rest of the modest accommodations.

On the second floor there is a balcony and that, it must be said, offers a spectacular view.

( OOC; so first they go to Val Royeaux, and then there's A Thing there, and then they travel to the little town no one's heard of - feel free to use this for travelling both to and from Val Royeaux, although a little more about that location will be revealed later on.

Skirmishes with bandits or travelling or injuries or whatever, basically do whatever works for you. )

It has come to this.

Ensuring invitations to the mysterious and rather confidently pen-named Lady Soleil's evening of poetry recitals was not difficult. Remembering the special pen name each of them has been forced to adopt for the evening? That may be. Providing poetry recitals or quotes from your favourite works when the conversation takes such a turn? Possibly another concern.

The mazes are lit by moonlight, and the weather in Val Royeaux is kinder than it was on the road, with clear skies stretching for leagues. People mingle outside in the gardens as much as they do in the hall proper, enjoying three ornate fountains (each with galloping horses worked into the feature - marble, not real, it is worth specifying in Orlais), a maze of hedges, and peacocks running through them.

(Yes, I will work peacocks into every plot I run, so help me.)

The mission? To find the Lady Soleil and try to learn of her mentor's guests, who they might be. Breaking into her office and accessing her papers and records is another option, of course, but she'll still need to be distracted. There are gossips and flirts and impassioned readings all around you, and some heightened tempered to match.

Try not to get into a duel unless you want to. And the mask provided? It is not optional.

( OOC; Party style/individual thread starters for random shenanigans! Pretty much whatever you want to do is fine, except maybe don't murder any nobility, that could cause a problem. Feel free to mention any jerkface Orlesian poets you want, I will come randomly hitting up threads with different npcs and you can enjoy the ridiculousness with each other as well.

I will do a subcomment to this thread for NPCing Lady Soleil and the distraction/safe accessing hijinx, since it is also happening at this absurd party.)

Edited 2016-07-07 13:08 (UTC)

There is a woman in a yellow dress, and gold seems to drip off her, jewellery draped over her skin as easily and naturally as water gathers and beads upon a leaf in the early morning. She seemingly has the monopoly of every shade of elegance and grandeur that each would-be poet here seems to grasp at. Whatever it is that they want to achieve, to become (if they know it or if they think they do then they are most likely wrong) she manages to embody all of those things.

The thing is, Lady Soleil is remarkably elusive for a hostess. She has people seeing to many things, servants taking care of many more, and is more often seen at a distance talking to presumably very important people.

Finally, however, she can be tracked to her chambers, where she sits writing letters, seeing to business... or possibly just penning some poetry, who can really know. Orlais, man. The doors are open to welcome any visitors, presumably, though she looks up with some surprise, her hand momentarily stilling in her writing.

"Ah." A smile, slow and friendly and sincere without being warm. "I don't believe I've yet had the pleasure."

( OOC: main thread for this part of the mission! the tactic is a combination of diplomacy and persuasion speaking with the Lady Soleil, and breaking into her chambers and stealing stuff. Tagging order here is flexible; part of the mission is to lure her out of her chambers, while others snoop in via the windows, with all of it happening in this one thread. Wheeeee )