Momma sed like the rain - SINS OF THE FATHER [CLOSED]

[apostafuckyou]

WHO: Raylan, Adelaide, Christine, Yngvi, Lex, Kif, Pam, Kaisa, Bruce, Leliana
WHAT: Sins of the father plot log!
WHEN: About a week in the middle of Harvestmere
WHERE: Crestwood (and possibly the road between there and Skyhold)
NOTES: Plotting post here! Starters will go in comments.

Comments

PROLOGUE

[crestwoodnpcs]

It was a day or two's ride to Crestwood, with the team and a few NPCs to support the camp coming along. A few characters had been approached by Raylan, the rest volunteered or ordered by the Inquisition. The team arrived in the afternoon and spent the evening split among the few social places of the town, listening and asking a few questions. By morning, they had a list of names to talk to.

[Basically use this for anything that doesn't fit under the other two.]

Raylan and Adelaide - closed

[apostafuckyou]

Raylan had twitched a little when Adelaide had volunteered to speak to Arlo. Raylan had specifically begged off, claiming Arlo's wife, Raylan's Aunt Helen, instead. He didn't go out of his way to seek Adelaide out, and hoped she hadn't noticed his reaction, but if he ended up sitting next to her as they ate dinner, well, that was just a nice coincidence, wasn't it?

"Either get him mad or get him to like you," Raylan said, as casually as if he were commenting on the weather. He hadn't looked up from his food, but it was directed at Adelaide. "Either'll loosen his tongue. Make him more likely to talk."

Boyd and Raylan - closed

[notyoursavage]

Word had traveled fast once folks started becoming more aware of the Inquisition's presence outside town, with the chatter mainly focused on what the reasons they could be here were, and then seemingly to only escalate once rumor had it that Arlo's boy had been part of said presence. Boyd mostly dodged the rumors, and kept quiet once the chatter had made it back to his father and crew later that night, merely listening in on the conversation of what they were going to do if their little secret was blown, silently grateful that the letter had worked.

The next morning, Boyd had been busy making his own rounds through town when he spotted Raylan heading out. He was alone, which made probably meant he was just heading back to camp. Had it been someone else, Boyd would have left them alone, but in this instance, he wasn't about to let an old friend breeze through town without at least acknowledging their presence.

"Heard a little rumor flyin' 'round town about Raylan Gibbs bein' back." He said, making his way towards him with his arms aloft in a welcoming stance, only stopping once he felt there was a safe distance between them both that wouldn't allow history to repeat itself. "Although I can't say I expected the inquisition to be taggin' along."

INTERROGATIONS

[crestwoodnpcs]

The morning of the second day is spent speaking to the mayor and exploring the town -- nothing much comes of it. In the afternoon, the team splits up in different directions to go talk to all the names on the list.

Conall - for Leliana

[crestwoodnpcs]

Emerging from his farmhouse on the edge of town, this man is squinting very hard at you, rubbing clean a pair of glasses on his dirty shirt. He’s got the build of someone who can pull a plow, middle-aged with a bit of a gut and graying hair, and dirt stuck everywhere a person could get dirt stuck, it seems.

“Well, hi there,” he says, putting his glasses back on. “You must be one of them Inquisition folks! I say so because I ain’t seen you around, and you don’t look like no courier.” He shuts the door behind him and sits down in a chair nearby, picking up a wet cloth from a bucket nearby and starting to wash his hands and face. “Don’t know how much help I’m gonna be, but I can sure try!”

To ask if he’s seen anything odd, put a 1 in the subject line.
To ask how his farm is doing, put a 2.

Ava - for Bruce

[crestwoodnpcs]

This woman invites you in quickly, then gets back to stirring a pot over the fire. She’s too pretty to be stuck inside this house, with blonde hair falling down her back and delicate features, as if she’s some noble slumming it. Her accent gives it away, though, she’s from here and always has been.

“I’d offer you somethin’, but I’m afraid we ain’t got as much as we used to,” she says apologetically. “This about Bowman and his daddy? Well, I’ll tell you right now, I’ll help in any way I can, but I don’t know much.”

To ask about Bowman, put a 1 in the subject line.
To ask about her, put a 2.

Sister Winifred - for Christine

[crestwoodnpcs]

You have to wait a few minutes before the Chantry sister has time for you. Pretty in a plain way, a lock of light brown hair falls out of her headdress, and she looks tired. She takes a good breath and gives you a small smile, hands folded in front of her.

“May the Maker’s light shine upon you,” she says with a little bow of the head. “I am Sister Winifred. I will assist the Inquisition in any way I can.”

To ask about problems in the area, put a 1 in the subject line.
To ask about the town in general, put a 2.

Daryl - for Lex

[crestwoodnpcs]

This boy is big and tall, with a beer gut and the kind of loose, lumbering strength that speaks of no particular training, but the ability to take you down without blinking anytime he feels like. With blond hair cropped close and pink skin, he looks you over carefully as you approach him outside his little shack, an intelligence behind icy blue eyes that belies the backwoods hick accent he has when he speaks.

“You with that Inquisition group?” he asks. “Mm. Hope y’all can get whatchu came for and split. Be a damn shame if somethin’ happened on this here road.”

To ask about the town, put a 1 in the subject line.
To respond to the threat, put a 2.

Arlo - for Adelaide

[crestwoodnpcs]

A man with short, snowy-white hair sits at the bar, deliberately not looking at you as you approach. He looks down into his glass and then pushes it across the bar, calling to the barmaid for a refill. She makes some crack about whether he’s going to pay for this one, but thinks better of it when he looks at her, pouring liquor without further complaint. Up close, there are similarities between him and Raylan: same height and lanky build, same straight nose, same jaw.

“So you’re with that Inquisition, eh?” His manner of speech is slow, his tone forcedly light, like he’s going for affable and not quite getting there. “I’m afraid I’m just an old man. You’re wastin’ your time, talkin’ to me.”

To buy him a drink, put a 1 in the subject line.
To ask him a question, put a 2.

Dewey - for Pam

[crestwoodnpcs]

The man before you is a scrawny, squirrelly little shit. He’s got a piece of wood and a knife, sitting on a stool outside his door, and is attempting to whittle…a bat? Or possibly a tiger of some kind? It’s not that he hasn’t done much to it, he’s just really, really bad at it. He doesn’t notice you until you’re right there, and then he jumps, nearly taking his own thumb off in the process. He’s quick to try and feign calm.

“You that lady from the Inquisition, then, are ya?” he asks. “I’m Dewey.” He looks somewhat wary.

To ask what he’s whittling, put a 1 in the subject line.
To ask something about himself, put a 2.

Cutter - for Kaisa

[crestwoodnpcs]

No doubt about it: this boy is mean as shit.

He doesn’t look at you so much as glare, with beady eyes under a mop of lank, dark hair. He’s short, but strong, the kind of build seen on farmers. He doesn’t squint in the sun, emerging from the shed he was in.

“You can get right the fuck on outta here,” he tells you, with no preamble. “Ain’t nothing for you here.”

To ask about the shed, put a 1 in the subject line.
To ask about the town, put a 2.

Johnny - for Yngvi

[crestwoodnpcs]

The barkeep is, unsurprisingly, behind the bar, tall with a ropy build and hair going silver. He’s wiping out a mug as he sizes you up, ignoring the sparse afternoon crowd he’s got milling around. These look like the types of people who rarely leave the bar.

“Inquisition, right?” he asks. “Well, I’ll tell you right now, I don’t know about anything important enough to bring you folks our way, but I’ll tell you what I can.”

To ask about current events, put a 1 in the subject line.
To ask about him, put a 2.

Bo - for Kif

[crestwoodnpcs]

The man before you is big and imposing. He’s clearly seen some prosperous times, because he’s tall and fat, with white, balding hair and a full salt-and-pepper beard. He’s standing and talking with someone quietly, but when he spots you, he says a word and his companion slinks off, presumably to finish this discussion later.

“Well well, you must be Inquisition,” he says, with a smile that feels more like a sneer. Or a snarl. “You boys and girls must have taken one hell of a wrong turn to end up in our sleepy little town.”

To ask about him, put a 1 in the subject line.
To ask about his companion, put a 2.

DISCUSSION

[crestwoodnpcs]

Anyone who'd like to thread sharing the information they gathered can do so here.

Helen and Raylan

[apostafuckyou]

“Well, well, well.” An older woman emerged from the house with a hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun, smiling like she couldn’t quite believe it. “Raymond Gibbs, as I live and breathe.”

“Aunt Helen.” Raylan approached her with a squinty-eyed smile.

"Been a year since you all got freed and you never once thought to visit your father."

Well, that didn't last long, Raylan thought. "Can't free someone from their home. That's called forcing out."

"Funny. I could say something much like that about you and this place."

"Crestwood was never my home, Helen."

"Well, I suppose you ought to tell me what you're here for now," she said, going back in the house and picking up a rag. She was washing something in a basin, and went back to it as Raylan took a seat at the table. "Heard about that whole team you got with you. Settin' up camp outside the town as if you're not gonna stay with your family."

"I'm not gonna stay with you and Arlo," Raylan pointed out. He deliberately avoided her wording -- Helen was his family, but Arlo didn't deserve that title.

"You see your father yet?"

"Helen, I ain't here to see my father. I'm here about the letter I got, sent by you."

Helen stiffened, and glanced over her shoulder. "I don't know what you're talking about." She turned back to her work quickly.

"All right, that's fair," Raylan said, raising his hands. He wouldn't push her to admit anything she might have good reason not to admit. He doubted Arlo had ever hit her -- he'd done so to his first wife and son, sure, but Raylan had noticed that Arlo stopped the first time he saw Raylan push a plow on his own. The man was a coward, afraid of getting his ass handed back to him by his scrawny teenage son, and Helen was both mentally more aggressive and physically stronger than her older sister had ever been.

But, Arlo still might go running to whoever was in charge with tales of his wife's big mouth. That the danger wouldn't come from Arlo didn't mean it wouldn't come, so Raylan dropped the subject and made a note to speak to Lady Nightingale, letting her know they needed to preserve Helen's anonymity.

"Still, we got a letter," he continued. "Sayin' there's someone up to no good here in Crestwood, and that people are going missin'. We confirmed it from sources elsewhere, packed up and sent a team. That's me and the people I'm with."

"So something shady's going down in Crestwood and you just assume your father's got something to do with it."

Raylan rolled his eyes to the sky. "Now I gotta pretend like we don't both know it's a good guess?" he asked. "What was that scam he had goin' when I left? Tellin' everyone mama was sick, sendin' notes through couriers beggin' nobles for help?"

"If those people were stupid enough to fall for it, they didn't deserve their money," Helen said archly.

"Took one or two for damn near everything they had, didn't he?" Raylan shot back. "Nearly got himself, mama, and me all killed."

"If it had worked, he'd have had enough to take you and your mother outta this damp shithole," Helen said, her voice making it sound like an accusation.

Raylan couldn't take it anymore, pounding his fist on the table as he stood up. "No, if it had worked, he'd have pissed it all away on booze and I still woulda gone to the fucking Circle!" he shouted.

Helen was startled by her nephew's outburst, and had stopped what she was doing. Raylan sat back down, taking a deep breath.

"I don't understand, Helen," he said, quieter now. "You never woulda defended him when I was younger. What the fuck happened?"

Helen was silent, both hands planted on the table before her. The space of several heartbeats passed before she was able to speak. "I'm old, Raylan." Slowly, she turned around to look at him. "And you don't need my protection anymore."

It pierced something in him, but she was right. Raylan hadn't needed anyone's protection for a long time now. Thinking of it made him miss it.

Helen sniffed and wiped her hands off on a towel. "I don't know anything about what Arlo's up to," she said slowly. "And that's the truth. I don't let him tell me, cause then I can't tell anyone."

Raylan closed his eyes and shook his head. "Maker, Helen..."

"Now," she said, as if he hadn't spoken. "Arlo won't be home for dinner, and you're welcome to stay. I imagine, bein' on official business, you won't have much chance to visit with your stepmother once you leave today."

Raylan flinched a little, but he was chuckling. "I prefer to think of you as Aunt Helen."

EVIDENCE GATHERING

[crestwoodnpcs]

On the morning of day three, the team splits again, this time into twos and threes, to gather evidence. Some search hard, some barely at all, but the criminals haven't been too careful, and there's plenty to find. At noon, the team meets back up at camp and agrees there's more than enough evidence to move forward with a raid.

But one team doesn't make it back. Kif, Bruce, and Lex went off to search together, and they never make it to the rendezvous. There are reports of three strangers being frogmarched away by some men who were trying not to be noticed. Seems the time frame on that raid just got moved up.

Kaisa and Cutie Patootie

[unbrokenoath]

Kaisa is not exactly a subtle person, so she waits a bit off to the side, pretending to be engrossed in reading the notices on the bulletin board. Once Arlo finally leaves, she glances over to Raylan, nodding to him. There's brief waiting period, and then she slips into the house.

"This feels so weird," She mutters to Raylan, "Breaking into a man's house while his wife's there. But I'll see if I can keep her distracted." Then she shoots Raylan a grin that would shame the Cheshire Cat. This is the only warning Raylan has that shit is about to go down before strolling up into the house like she owned the place, and immediately going to look for his Aunt.

"Hey there! It's me, again. You know, my Cutie Patootie didn't mention he had such a lovely aunt." She put her hands on her hips, the grin having not budged an inch. "I can see that he gets it honest, at least."

TEAM KIDNAP (Kif, Lex, and Bruce)

[crestwoodnpcs]

The three of you went in to search a known gathering place for Bo and his crew. You're turning up some things, not really an orgy of evidence but enough to paint a picture. You've been there about twenty minutes when a small group of men enter behind you, led by Daryl with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Y'all Inquisition was told to leave town as many ways as we could think of, and here you are," he says. "Stickin' your noses where they got no business. So now, you all are comin' with us."

THE RAID

[crestwoodnpcs]

Using Conall's maps and some crude drawings found in evidence, the team finds the cave where the criminals are hiding slaves. Lex, Kif, and Bruce are found in a cage not far from the entrance. There's a lot of hostiles in this cave, but they were unprepared and not expecting the Inquisition (HURR) and the would-be slaves will help, so they're overwhelmed pretty easily and herded out of the cave. The team brings them toward the Mayor's house to turn them in.

[unbrokenoath]

Standing outside of the cave, Kaisa paces like a caged animal. In her hand is her gaudy, multi-hued sword hilt. Anyone that's seen her fight knows that the actual sword part only shows up when she's fighting. Which she's ready to do. She's mad, fit to be tied, and the slavers are going to wish that she were, once she's done with them.

But she doesn't make any sudden moves. She may be a berserker, but that involves channeling all that anger. She'll hold it in until it's time.

"So, I say that we hit them hard and fast. I'll draw as many as I can." Her eyes flick up to Raylan, and then the others in turn. "And if we get the others out quick-like, they can help?" She's no expert at strategies, but hopefully neither are the people inside.

THE LAKE

[crestwoodnpcs]

The team goes to turn the criminals in to the mayor, but things do not go as planned.

MAYOR SHADY

[crestwoodnpcs]

The mayor has disappeared.

Inquisition,

I have some business taking me out of town, but know you have Crestwood's deepest of gratitude for your efforts!

-Mayor

You notice it doesn't say where he's gone or when he'll be back, but there isn't much to be done about it, because he's clearly not here. The town guard refuses to do anything without his say-so. What now?

[This is for discussions and interactions with criminals before the battle.]

THE RIFT

[crestwoodnpcs]

The team heads back to camp to make a decision, but as they come out of the town, a horror movie is beginning. The sun has just gone down and the rift underneath the lake has opened, filling the area with hazy green light. By this light, you can see corpses. Dozens of them, rising out of the water and coming right for you.

THE CHOICE

[crestwoodnpcs]

Eventually, there's a lull in the corpses. The team makes it back to camp, down a few criminals and with a few new injuries. A discussion begins of what to do with the criminals. If the locals won't do anything, bringing them back to Skyhold seems like the only way.

[apostafuckyou]

"There's another option."

Raylan had been silent while the rest of the group discussed what to do with the prisoners, standing several feet away and tending to the fire that was cooking their dinner. He hadn't wanted to talk, but he had something to say now. He stood up from the log he'd been sitting on, but didn't walk closer.

"We don't have to travel 'em back to Skyhold," Raylan said, poking at the fire with a stick. "We got a lake right down there spittin' out corpses like seeds. Don't see as anyone would notice if some of 'em were a little fresher than the others."

One of the scouts was nearby and listening, and caught on to what Raylan was getting at. "Are you saying-"

"Yes," Raylan said, cutting him off. "Far's I'm concerned, these men gave up their rights to a fair trial when they became slavers and murderers. We dump 'em, report that they died in that fight we had comin' outta the town. No one ever knows the difference. World's a whole lot safer."

EPILOGUE

[crestwoodnpcs]

The team heads back to Skyhold, perhaps with some new cargo, perhaps not so much.

[Again, good for anything that doesn't fit under the other three!]

Raylan and Lex - closed

[apostafuckyou]

When Raylan's head filled up with thoughts he didn't want to think and feelings he didn't want to feel, the best thing to do was drink.

That probably wasn't a good idea while they were actively traveling, so Raylan made his way through their little procession to where Lex Luthor was. The next best thing was to distract himself with another person, and Lex was the closest. Probably wouldn't pry into how he was feeling, either. The squirrelly little shit didn't really seem to care about that kind of thing. What he did obviously care about was his craft.

Raylan was quiet for a moment, thinking of a good question to ask that would probably get him talking for awhile. "How d'you decide what to make a weapon out of?" he finally said. Surely there were a lot of factors involved with that.