faderift | PLAYER PLOT: The Least of His Children

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PLAYER PLOT: The Least of His Children

WHO: Nathaniel Howe, Felix Alexius, Anders, James Norrington, Kaisa Daesun, Fenris, Araceli, Inessa.
WHAT: A quest to rescue a slave.
WHEN: August 26
WHERE: Tevinter
NOTES: Will update. Plotting post is here.

The Mastermind: Nathaniel Howe
The Game: Green Goods
The Grifter: Felix Alexius
The Mark: Magister Leo Valerius is an ailing old man, but his mind is sharp. His main concern of late has been to leave his sons a good inheritance, though he isn't exactly straight-up greedy.
The Prize: Alavda Endris is a slave to Valerius. The bad news is that she almost never leaves his side. The good news is that that makes her easy to find.

The Plan: One team is sent in, with Felix dressed as a minor lordling and his entourage trying to climb the social ladder by schmoozing an old magister. Felix claims to be staying as a guest of a nearby lord (technically true) and only visiting for the day. Valerius must believe this boy is an upstart with no political value and too much money.

Another team performs a heist and gains the money Valerius keeps at this estate by pretending to be contractors hired to work on the floorboards in the room with the vault door (an appointment Valerius set up months ago and our team hijacked). Planting bees in the floorboards will clear the room of guards. Felix pretends to fall in love with Alavda and asks to borrow her from Valerius. If Valerius hesitates, Felix offers him more and more money until he consents. He has loaned Alavda to other lords before, and Felix's show of being petulant and stupid should help wear away any suspicion that this is a set-up. In that way, it's a basic hustle. Once Valerius consents, Felix then sends an attendant outside to fetch that amount from the money stolen from Valerius' vault. The entourage departs, claiming to be returning to the local lord's house. They leave with Alavda and return to Skyhold.

MAJOR OBSTACLES:

Alavda is wearing an enchanted collar which allows Valerius to locate her. If it is cut away or in most any other way removed, it sends a massive and lethal shock through her system. The team will need to find a way to remove the collar without killing Alavda.

If/when the collar is removed, Valerius will send people to find her.

Valerius has about twenty guards on his property.

The vault door operates on reacting to a specific keystone which cannot be found, but aside from the magical lock, the mechanism is still a mechanism. A good thief can crack it.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is vital that the members of this team keep their involvement and mission details secret before and after the mission. It must not get out that Inquisition members and affiliates were involved in hustling a magister.

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"Exactly." To all of it. Mages aren't warriors, charging in and enjoying larger challenges than they should reasonably bite off.

...Okay. Maybe sometimes some mages are. Maybe sometimes he does that. But generally he finds mages smarter than warriors.

"The movements feel fairly natural, it's instinct to breathe when your head's above water, and so on." He lifts up his kitten to give her a gentle headbutt before carefully placing her in the sand; he needs his arms free and she'll be fine. "Your hands will generally be scooped, curled around a little, like so."

There's some learning that can be done on dry ground. They're here, they might as well start.

Watch out, Purrelden, there's a certain wet mabari running around who loves to make new friends. If she gets close enough, he'll come over to sniff at her and try to get her to join him. It's not the same as another mabari to roll around with but still, he'll take it.

Figuring that if Garahel earns himself a hiss and a swat that he's earned it, Inessa ignores the canine in order to focus on what Anders is showing her. She starts to mimic his hand movements, but pauses to tug off her gloves and stow them away. "I imagine not many swim with gloves on, do they?

And that seems fairly simple, at least so far." She keeps expecting it to take a complicated turn, but on land, how complicated can it be? Don't get ahead of yourself, Inessa. "I heard there are different swimming forms; does it truly make that much of a difference?" Swimming is swimming, right? Though she'd rather ask and be sure than just assume.

Purrelden likes new friends. But Purrelden does not like wet, and when he comes bounding over she backs up and raises a paw, scared. Anders watches her out of the corner of his eye - she needs to learn how to be more social. Lady she's fine with, but Lady she can sit on.

"Friendly, please." Purrelden mews, and Anders looks back at Inessa. "Sorry. No, I don't know of any who swim with gloves on. Fabric gathers water, which makes you heavier, which makes the task more complicated."

He'd stripped off nearly everything when jumping into Lake Calenhad, which had been good in the short term and bad when he'd gotten out.

"And yes. It depends on if you're angling for endurance or speed. Or simply want to mostly float." He pauses. "If I demonstrate, do you promise not to re-demonstrate later for other people while laughing? Because out of the water it looks ridiculous."

To his credit, Garahel comes to a halt and listens to Inessa when she calls out. "Back up and shakes yourself off first, Garahel. Then you can play nice." She eyes him as he starts to do just that, glad that for all his spoiling he still largely listens to her without hesitation.

"All of those goals sound useful, though staying afloat seems a best first lesson. The rest can come with mastery of that first one." Speed isn't going to matter if she sinks like a stone, after all. And that question gets a soft laugh from her, but she shakes her head. "I promise I will do no such thing. Is that any way to repay your assistance?"

Purrelden watches, and this time when he approaches she doesn't move to bat at him. She sniffs, trying to stay clear of big paws while figuring him out.

"At some campfires, anything becomes fair game. Ghost stories, outright mockery, charades; we've yet to see how out of hand ours can get." He gives her a smile.

"To float on your back takes a little getting used to. You're stretched out," he demonstrates, "with your head a little back, and your ankles a little bent. From there, once you've gotten it, you can move your arms like so," which turns out to be a slow waggling of them, "and move very slowly. You won't get anywhere very quickly at all, and if there are waves you're going to be knocked about. But it takes little effort to maintain, which is crucial if you're in deeper waters and getting tired."

As Garahel gets sniffed at, and does the same in turn, Inessa turns her attention to Anders. And yes, she can't help but stifle a giggle, but can she truly be blamed? On land, it does look silly though despite that she'll still take note for later use. "I hope to avoid deeper waters in general, but should my wishes not be granted, I'll do my best to remember that. Conserving energy aside, it could be fairly relaxing.

And I suspect our campfires will be interesting, but I'll keep to my word. Maker knows there will be plenty of other fodder for stories and whatnot." Inessa is rarely one to begin such silliness anyway, though she'll contribute to it after a while. "Though if you're truly concerned, I suppose I could change out of armor and return here...?"

That is, if Anders is interested in entering the water or instructing her from the shore. Either way, Garahael seems happy for a new friend and gently nuzzles the cat.

"That could be easiest." He spares a look at Purrelden and Garahel, smirking faintly as Purrelden uses the nuzzling attempt to try to climb on the mabari's head.

"She's used to being larger than her tentmate mabari. And in charge. A full-size mabari will be interesting, but she'll be fine." She can take care of herself. And if she starts seeming to feel threatened, Anders will pick her up.

"I'll stay here with them while you change?" He can swim in his robes. He can even take off his robes and be in his leggings, which would make it easier yet. Anders sets his staff off to the side and starts unlacing his boots.

"Thank you. He shouldn't be any trouble. Right, Garahel?" He barks happily in response. Look at his new friend/hat! Inessa chuckles and pets them both. "Play nice, and I'll be back in a moment."

She return a few moments later, in lightweight robes more suited to Tevinter's warm temperatures. If even that proves to be too heavy, Inessa can shed it but she doesn't quite feel right in anything but robes, armored or not. This shouldn't be the impossible challenge of before, at least. "I'm ready if you are."

By the time she returns, Purrelden is quite pleased to be a hat, though she's making a few protesting sounds when Garahel bounces a little too much, and Anders has much of his clothing tidily folded and on a rock that should be out of the mabari's reach, left in leggings.

"In we go, then. Purrelden, behave." He has to say it, even if the cat is, well, a cat.

Anders heads into the water, getting to where she'll be about waist-deep. "The hardest part to this will be relaxing and trusting. I'm going to hold out my arm on the surface. I want you to lean back, having my arm at the small of your back, and act like you're simply lying back on something solid. I'll catch you if you slip, so breathe and take this slowly."

Garahel learns to slow down, not wanting to dislodge his furry hat friend, and when Inessa returns he'll seek a good vantage point for them to plop down and observe their owners doing silly things in the water. "Garahel, play nice. Remember, she's not a mabari."

Pretty confident that he'll behave himself without further instruction, Inessa wades into the water--and stiffens a little. The warmer waters of the sea facing Tevinter are still cooler than she expected. Still, she'll adjust. As a Warden, Inessa has endured far worse, after all. So she nods at the instruction, a slightly sheepish smile as she did the opposite of relaxing just a moment ago. "Alright, I'll give it a try."

She takes a deep, calming breath and does as instructed, leaning back slowly and fighting the instinct to right herself. Anders wouldn't let her sink. "...like this?"

"Like that." His tone is the he one takes with patients and students alike, low and encouraging. "Now, before I move my arm, I want you to pretend you're on a very short bed. Your head dangles a little off the top, your feet dangle a little off the edge. When you've got that, I'm going to lower my arm just a little, enough for you to start floating without me. But I'll still be right here. If you slip, I'll catch you. When you're ready."

There's no more glances given to Purrelden. As much as he complains about mabari and drool, he's known three very obedient ones already, and knows their reputation. Garahel will behave, Purrelden will be fine, and his focus is on Inessa. Besides, he likes teaching. This is fun.

That tone actually does put her more at ease, as much for the fact that it reminds her of her mentors back in the tower and simpler times. But she tries to keep her mind on the here and now, not wanting to put Ander's lesson to waste. (Or sink. That, too.) She nods, a glint of amusement reaching her eyes. "A too-short bed? Now there's an experience I've not yet encountered."

It may be a strange idea for her, but she tries to follow along nonetheless. Taking steady, deep breaths, she eases herself into doing as instructed, finding it easier than she would have thought. It's strange, letting go like this, though not unpleasant. "...alright, I think I'm ready."

She's also probably never slept on a table, he reflects, but it's not like he begrudges her the added comfort. He's the one that chose to run a clinic in Darktown.

"All right." Slowly, carefully, ready to catch her if she starts to sink or struggle, Anders lowers his arm to try to leave her on the surface of the water.

A table, no, but as a Warden, Inessa has slept in plenty of places that were less that comfortable. The floor of a cave, an old prison cell, and so on. They do what needs to be done, so comfort is often on the back burner.

As Anders lowers his arm, Inessa tenses at first, wondering if she made a mistake in saying that she was ready. But she continues to do as instructed and doesn't seem to be sinking, at least yet. That gives her a bit more confidence. "I...it feels odd, but not unpleasant. And easier than I thought."

She smiles at that, a little childlike wonder showing at something so simple. Yet she hadn't really had the opportunity before, so it's a bit overdue.

There are few sensations that are more like freedom than floating on the water with the sky filling your eyes. Anders is smiling as well, at her smile, at the risk she's taking, at how something this simple is in itself an act of rebellion. He firmly believes that the more tastes Circle mages get of life and its opportunities, the more they'll refused to simply go back. This is, perhaps, an entirely peaceful way of undermining Vivienne and the Circles and anyone who still believes in the old ways.

"People are naturally good at floating, for some reason," is what he says, though, rather than anything about the future. "You can safely hold that for some time. Though if you want to start moving very slowly in a direction, you're going to flap slowly."

He makes the motion himself, a gentle arm flap that feels very reminiscent of what chickens to. "This won't get you anywhere very quickly at all, but if you've gotten tired in the water and need to keep heading toward shore, floating and doing your best avian impression is the greatest way to increase your odds of survival. Making a chicken noise is optional."

Inessa attempts that arm flap, gentle and slow, just to test it out, though that last comment of Anders gets a sputtering laugh out of her. "I'll pass, I--" She has to break off and focus her efforts on not sinking due to her amusement. This will take some getting used to, but it's not insurmountable. In a way, it's a good morale-building for what they'll face next.

"But what if I tell you you get bonus points for it?" He's trying not to grin at her laughter, but there's something endlessly rewarding about making someone else laugh.

"When feel like you've got a handle on that, we'll go for the backstroke - far faster, but definitely more taxing. And then two front-down strokes. Just the basics on everything; I don't expect you to master them. Knowing them, however, is important." They'll mean that when she gets into the water, she can get back out. They'll open up a whole other side of the world to her.

"I always was a sucker for extra credit." Teacher's pet, your name is Inessa.

After righting herself, she takes a moment to be sure that sinking isn't and won't be a problem before responding. "Moment of distraction aside, I think I'm managing this. Tell me if I need adjustment, however. If we can continue, I'm ready."

"If I was a little younger, and not single, and not without some sort of teacher code..." He lets the teasing linger for a moment. Granted, he'd broken the whole teacher code before, it had just been backward. He'd seduced Karl.

Then, once the moment's over, he's nodding. "You seem like you have that. So." Now it's his turn to lay back, and he cups his hands like he'd shown her before. "You'll be going from flat when the hand goes into the water, to cupped as soon as it's in, and you'll be kicking. It's going to make a lot of splashing, so I'll stick to just the arm movements at first."

He demonstrates, swimming a rough circle around her with the backstroke, generally just using his feet to steer rather than for speed.

When Anders lays back, Inessa turns her head enough to watch him. She can learn from lecturing alone if she must, but it helps to see the positions and movements for herself. "Just arm movements is fine, then. One thing at a time...."

Now that she's taken the first step, the next doesn't seem so intimidating. So she's eager to try upon viewing the demonstration, waiting until he's out of the way before attempting to circle around him in turn. Her movements aren't as graceful, and she doesn't quite get the hang of steering as he does, not yet.

He watches her try it, nodding despite how she can't really see him until she's paused.

"Good. Good, you're getting it. It's going to take more practice to get it down, and improve your strength, but you've got the core of it. Would you like to leave it there for the day, or do you want to learn the mabari paddle and the breast stroke as well?"

"My strength is never something I've had to develop, so that will take time." Inessa almost wants to say 'what strength' but even as small and slight as she is, she'll give it a chance. And there's a soft laugh as she answers. "The mabari paddle? That sounds too good to pass up." One more won't tire her out too much, but past that she'll call it a day.

Mages often didn't have opportunity or reason to really train their strength. Swinging a staff around took some effort, but for most it had been a scholarly thing alone for quite some time. He's not surprised she doesn't have a lot of strength just yet.

"I had a feeling, considering your choice of animal companion. And the good news is that the mabari paddle is very easy, provided the water isn't too worked up. It's on the front, with your arms going like this."

The motion he makes as he stands is very much how a mabari swims, paddling the water.

"Feet kick too. So you wind up..." He sinks down and starts paddling. It looks ridiculous and he knows it. After a few moments, he stands back up. "It's slow. It's not very efficient. But it's very easy."

Ridiculous though it appears, Anders has a point about it being easy to learn. With that in mind, Inessa tries it based on that. If he has to look ridiculous, it won't be alone. She can always abandon its use when more skilled with other forms of swimming. As before, she's better at the hand movements than remembering to use her feet effectively, though she manages.

"...I can see the drawbacks, but at least the water is calm. And if I freeze up and forget all else, this would be easy enough to recall. I'll hope to at least remember how to float first, however."

Edited 2016-09-14 14:03 (UTC)

It's definitely ridiculous-looking, but it's as easy as it gets. He gives her a smile and a nod when she talks again.

"It's something you can use when you're low on energy, and it's hard to forget even if you've been tossed around by the current some. Both of those are fairly important. And we can work with this more as we've time, if you'd like. I enjoy the water."

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PLAYER PLOT: The Least of His Children

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