faderift | ( closed. ) there is no crime in being kind.

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( closed. ) there is no crime in being kind.

WHO: closed to Araceli, Ariadne, Beleth, The Iron Bull, Isabela, Legolas, Solas, Teren, Zevran, with possible sending crystal appearances by Leliana if necessary and a collection of nps.
WHAT: Antiva Mission; freeing slaves, dealing with a Merchant Prince, capturing an Orlesian noble and maybe recruiting some Antivan chefs.
WHEN: Roughly 1st - 5th May, with a gentle touch of timey wimey
WHERE: Antiva City, Antiva (and thereabouts)
NOTES: Plotting post & ic recruitment log (if you want to thread Leliana approaching your character to come along just lmk and I'll get to it asap.)
Themes of slavery, all the terrible things Venatori do that could be mentioned, the existence of Zevran and Isabela, and general carnage. (Please add any surprise warnings to subject lines, bruhs.)

Starters being added in the comments :]b

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( Antiva City is a place in a constant state of flux, where duplicity and beauty seem to thrive off each other as much as they exist in conflict.

The journey to Antiva is a tumultuous one, through mountains and overland. The final (and not insignificant) portion is by sea, enabling their arrival into the city under cover of darkness, ostensibly just another pirate crew.

Once they arrive, the team can make their way to a safehouse, the entrance to which is concealed within a brothel called The Blushing Peach, run by one of Leliana's contacts.

Travel, arrival, random interactions and shenanigans and hopefully nobody getting too seasick can all go here. )

( Plotting/discussion comment HERE. )

( The estate of Valentin Oleastro is an extensive one, right on the harbour, which his collection of ships bobbing on the water. There are three ships that sit heavier in the water, full of cargo - there lie the slaves, crammed into a horrifyingly small space. It will be necessary to take out some guards, some crew, and some of Oleastro's men wandering the grounds. Feel free to just take out low level bad guys, but I'll hop in and NPC some thugs and such and utilise some dice and rng to see what happens.

Oleastro can be found in his opulent house, access to which involves a hedge maze, some traps, and excessive peacocks. Again, feel free to do your own thing regarding traps, but I will try to swoop into threads with random trap stuff. However! If you specifically do/don't want some randomised stuff for your character then just let me know your preferences. (Naturally I won't be randomising injuries, exactly how things go for your character is 100% in your control.)

The Orlesian noble is in the house with Oleastro, but he will make a break for it the very moment the Inquisition make their presence known, because he is slippery. Separate comment for those who decide to pursue the Orlesian for Josie.

If Valentin is spared and captured, this thread can also be used for interacting with him after that. )

Edited 2016-04-30 23:22 (UTC)

( Plotting/discussion comment HERE. )

( Time for an epic chase across the estate, down some ivy, across some balconies with Alexandre Fortier. Is it just a couple of characters? A chunk of the group? His capture and delivery to Skyhold was especially requested by Josephine and is important to the mission.

This thread will primarily focus on fancy fightypants Orlesian, however if a few people would like in for this chase then NPCing in random thugs/traps/obstacles/peacocks who get in the way is totally cool. I can just NPC the Orlesian, but say if a bigger group goes after him then I can say there are some soldiers with him that'll also need some fighting, too keep it more interesting, if that's preferred. As mentioned above if you specifically do/don't want some randomised stuff for your character then just let me know your preferences. (Naturally I won't be randomising injuries, exactly how things go for your character is 100% in your control.)

This thread can be for interacting with Alexandre Fortier after his capture, not just for chasing him and sword fights :]b )

Edited 2016-04-30 23:22 (UTC)

( Optional sidequest, although one that Leliana mentioned freely as a potential boon for the Inquisition and morale.

If characters make it to the kitchens there is the most amazing smell, and three very alarmed looking Tal Vashoth standing there. They might not be able to talk right away - this dish is very timing sensitive. Please don't stick your hands in the sauce! Would you like a snack?

Worth noting: each of them are shackled, though not chained. These are the legendary chefs of Oleastro, jealously guarded, and clearly making something devastatingly delicious.

Recruitment and random chats/multiple threads all good :]b )

( House reconnaissance? More shenanigans in Antiva? THE POWER IS YOURS.

Prod me if you'd like an NPC for this thread and I'll happily provide :D )

TBA.

[ His last venture North had not been half so pleasant as all this- even with that ever present wariness crackling at the back of his mind Zevran is pleased to be returning home. There's a lightness, a joy about him for something so simple, leaving him bright and cheerful through mountains and rocky paths, through long hikes and lonely nights. Upon the ship he strips to the waist and slides into place among the crew easily enough, working the rigging, earning his keep and as much gossip as he can possibly wrangle.

A little wariness on behalf of the sailors isn't entirely unwarranted and they do not seem to wish to make trouble- far more interested in an easy job and quick pay. Aside from that his markings brand him a Crow, and that is not one most would wish to bother.

Even so late as they arrive he is crackling with excitement- home. Antiva City. The glittering jewel of his country, how he has missed her. Ferrying his goods into the back end of the brothel takes little time- Zervran checks his gear once more before slipping to the brothel proper to speak with the whores. After all, they say you can never truly go home again- but this? This is comfortable and familiar enough for him. ]

[Months ago (and sometimes she can't believe it's already been months) Zevran had offered to show her Antiva since she'd been so homesick, and then he'd been taken by those he'd escaped, and she'd gone chasing after him with a band of others. She had seen things that had made her sick to her stomach.

It's hard to be back here. Harder still to be back here with Zevran though she's good at this, she is better than good, and when Zevran goes she's quick to slip out and follow him; if her ears were pointed, she might truly pass for his sister, as it is, if she keeps her hand tucked away then the only time she merits a second look is because she's a pretty girl in leathers that fit her well, weapons swinging at her side.]

Running away without me is incredibly rude, I'm hurt. [Of course she's teasing as she catches up, falling into step, tucking herself on the side where his eye is milky white because that way he is covered, because that is what a friend does.] All work and no play means I have no scandalous stories for when I get back.

Ah, but Sorellina, what if I was slipping away to purchase something special for you? Something that glitters to go on your marvelous neck.

[ His grin is bright and easy, slipping from Common into Antivan without much thought- any other Rifter? He wouldn't dare. They can't possibly know the language. But Araceli is a girl after his own heart, his own blood, and that as much as her taking his blind side has him slinging an arm about her shoulders as he would any close comrade. ]

Come. We are going to meet up with a few of my old contacts, learn more of our purpose here. And possibly meet a few of the whores that raised me if they yet remain.

[ One, he knows, has become the Signora of the establishment, minds the children quite well. It is not the same as taking her to meet his family under normal circumstances as he had none, but it was the closest he might come. ] There will be scandalous tales aplenty before we leave, I assure you.

[Last time Araceli couldn't enjoy the sea, not when worry tore through her, when it was first Sina almost dying and then Zevran taken and possibly dead then a journey when she had no idea what he would be like. This time it's different, and she removes her boots to help her to climb up the rigging better the way she would on her father's ship, tying knots, laughing easily as the wind tugs at her curls.

Araceli laughs often, laughs easily, rarely frowns where most might see her but when she isn't working, or when she isn't laughing and gambling with the sailors when there's a free moment, she leans against the side of the ship, staring out over the water, peaceful and calm in a way she simply isn't at Skyhold.

She's missed the sea, and the way her eyes sting has nothing to do with the wind or the salt spray.

Upon arrival in Antiva though she is happier to settle more quietly, sharpening her rapiers as she takes the opportunity to get a measure of those with her, many of them faces she hasn't even seen in passing in Skyhold.]

[Although Ariadne doesn't entirely know her place on this team, she knows exactly what she's good at. And that's a comfortable position to find herself in. Without any prompting or any orders, she immediately assumes the role of scout, easily scramble ahead over the rugged terrain, reporting back in once in awhile when she sees a pack of wild animals up ahead.

Not a lot of people, though. Which is probably for the best.

When they stop to make camp, Ariadne always moves up to the highest ground (or tree) she can find, serving as lookout. A lot of unfamiliar scents assail her, but it's actually pleasurable. She's in her element and she finally feels like she's actually doing something.]

[For all anyone knows, Teren is simply there to be disaster relief and witness-- keeper of the schedules, patcher of clothing and skin, front as a traveling merchant-- in case things go terribly wrong. Though she primarily keeps to herself, she is not entirely unfriendly, and will often engage in conversation when prompted.

Even she can't hide her curiosity when they arrive at Antiva City, a place she's never been. It reminds her strangely of the Nevarran fishing village where she grew up, despite being exponentially larger; perhaps it's the smell, the dingy state of the docks and the lapping of dark water. The rickety shambles of a dockside residential district tugs at her heart in a way she hasn't felt for about thirty years.

On their arrival, as much as she'd like to do some quick reconnaissance, she'd hate to blow her cover that quickly. Instead, she goes straight to the brothel, playing up her disdain for the operation. As though she actually minds. As though her mother didn't do the same, and in their own home. But she must look proper and stiff if she's to be believed.]

[Periodically Zevran may catch Teren watching him, her expression thoughtful but not entirely unpleasant. Most importantly, she does not look away if he meets her eyes, but continues to stare into them with a knowing glint.
Having said that, she at no point directly approaches or engages with him.]

Then I would of course become very distracted and pretend not to notice, I can be obliging, of course, when it comes to the people I care for.

[After all she has had so long to learn to do that since the other girls in the guard came into her life; they are very bad at sneaking off the job, they don't know how to do it but you look away for some things. She suspects she would do the same for Korrin at times, because like Zevran, always being alert means she's still here, still alive, and she tucks her head against his shoulder, tucking her curls out of the way.]

I know it wasn't the same for you as it was for I but...to have someone that does understand that yes, whores can raise you is something I'm glad for. Although Skyhold having no brothel baffles me to this day. There are so many where I come from, how is it that so many people are there and no brothel. I mean the Fereldan folk or the Orlesians can hardly even make it through a day without shoving their feet down their throats. [An exaggeration, and Zevran doesn't talk about feelings that way that she might where she can throw the word love as casually as she pleases but well, they know about getting rid of tension.

Plenty of other people must barely be able to wield weapons with the damage they'll be doing to their wrists with no brothel about, and sometimes (a lot of times) you need another body (or two, or three, or more, as many as you'd like and have the coin for) to be there with you in the dark, so you aren't alone and feel safe.] Enough to make Korrin's hair curl? It's a mission of mine, to see if I can actually manage it since she decided to run off and fight a dragon leaving me on the back foot which is just incredibly rude of her I think.

Raise and raise well. It was not an ideal situation- my mother dying and leaving her debt and another mouth to feed- but they took care of me and the other children; made certain none of the customers ever were under the impression we too might be bought, and ensured we were not hungry or beaten for scampering about as children are wont to do. Most trouble we found came from wandering the market beyond the brothel, finding trouble as street urchins are wont to do.

[ He never spoke much of those women, the life he led in that warm, colorful building. It all seemed too personal to share with most but Araceli...Araceli would understand. ]

It is where I learned how to braid my hair and apply basic makeup- I could never quite get the hang of the way they would line their brows or eyes when I was that young, but I could color their lips quite well. [ Ah, memories. ] I think it is because the Inquisition was founded as a branch of the Chantry- and the chantry mothers and sisters might find a brothel on the grounds to be sinful? I do not understand it myself, Sorellina, I truly do not.

[ It is after the fifth time he catches her staring that he caves, slipping from shadow to shadow until he is at her side. ] What is it you want, Bella Dama? A story, a song? A night in my bed?

[Teren, of course, is up to the task of pretending none of this is warranted. She's leaning against the ship's railing, watching the crew and listening to the waves, and she barely turns her head when Zevran appears.]

A story, [she decides. Her tone is cryptic.]

...as you wish. What manner of tale would you wish? Something of the fifth blight? Something daring? Something steamy?

[ Casual as he can manage he leans a hip against the railing, eyes on her. ]

Something cultural. Traditionally Antivan. [She casts him a wry look.]

I should get in the mindset of where we're going.

There's no such thing as debt with the whores at home, that isn't how it works at all with us; like everyone on a ship is one crew, that is how it is in the brothel. One of the younger women there before I left was my first. We were friends, she was nervous, I was nervous, if that can be believed. [Some firsts she shared on the docks, in the taverns, or with her thief friends, but some things seemed safer under her mother's roof. There's always that safety for her, knowing she can always go back and be welcomed.] If I had wished to take that path they would have taught me but she taught me all the other things that people never think you can learn in a brothel.

I...I confess that I still find it very hard to think of it as sinful when what my mother still does is considered to be healing. To be with a Bride is to be embraced by the sea, to be healed, to be comforted; even with a consort - that is what the whores call themselves, consorts to refer to the gender or genders they prefer to lie with, it makes it simpler for all parties - when they do not need to provide the same healing, to be with someone? How is it sinful? We were given a body to feel alive, I have always felt so alive and connected. Loved. [There's a moment of pause, careful consideration as she tips her head to think about a few instances in the past. Not hurts, more selfishness on the part of others and she shrugs.] I think some of your Chantry mothers and sisters are the ones who are in need of it the most.

Well... there is the tale of the princess and the flea, the Merchant's Arrogance, the Giant and the Toad....hmm.

Growing up around it as I did my introduction was quite practical. This is what happens, this is what might go wrong if you are not careful, this is how to be certain you are not hurt, so on and so forth. Not all Antivans share that easy education quite so early but most do not find lovemaking to be so shameful a thing. After all if one sins one must light a candle, pray for forgiveness, and move on with one's life. In the South...

[ Zevran shrugs. ]

Things are quite strange here, this is true. The closest to your Brides I can think of, considering what I know of them, would be Tamassrans of the Qunari. For them it is a need that is filled, a manner of healing.

[Growing up in a country so very much like Antiva, right by the docks, volunteering to take the harbour is a given to Araceli; others on the team can vouch for her climbing, she knows the sea, and Zevran can confirm if needed that she can speak his native tongue too. You play the hand you're dealt, and fortunately Araceli was dealt a good one.

Climbing aboard the ship is easily done when she's small as she is, hugging tight against the wood, feet almost skimming the water as she's careful to keep out of the line of sight of the other ships. She waits only long enough to get the guard rotation on one ship before she moves to the next, dipping down as far as she can to report back, the lapping of the water covering her soft voice.]

Guards on the ships. [A long pause follows, heavy steps above her, the laughter of two guards or crew. She holds her breath until they walk away. If anyone has decided to come with her, she'll have a frown hidden by shadows for them.] How do we wish to proceed? They won't be moving quickly but they can still move if we don't.

The Merchant's Arrogance. [The title seems relevant, if nothing else.]

[Ariadne didn't know Araceli. Barely even knew her name. And her scent was wildly foreign.

But none of that mattered.

When she saw the way Araceli moved, the way she was able to climb, she felt an instant kinship. The other girl could very well have been an Alastrian. If Alastrians existed anywhere outside of her own home world. And following her from point to point felt just like jumping through the canopy with her sisters, back in Deleo. If Ariadne wasn't careful, she might very well forget that she no longer had her wings.

For the most part, Ariadne followed. She wasn't much of a leader. But when Araceli asked her how they ought to proceed, she paused to give the question careful consideration. And it was in that pause that she caught a faint pulse, fluttering like the wings of a hummingbird.]

There's someone else here. Someone afraid.

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( closed. ) there is no crime in being kind.

Antiva City; travel to, arrival in, random shenanigans.

Free the slaves & confront the Merchant Prince.

Capture the Orlesian noble.

Recruiting the Chefs.

Random other stuff.

Epilogue and the return.

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feel free to chat to her over the crystal or to have tagged along

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