( closed. ) we are objects of contempt to our neighbours,

[dashing]

WHO: Herian, Pel & Sina.
WHAT: Following the death of Gwen's mother during a Dalish ambush on their party, the Inquisition sends a diplomatic party to the Clan to open dialogue. Everything is a bit terrible.
WHEN: Shortly after the events of this log, so the beginning of Harvestmere. Gently timey wimey for flexibility.
WHERE: somewhere suitably Dalishy and foresty, Orlais.
NOTES: Reference to violence, torture and murder; this diplomatic mission is going to badly, specific warnings to be updated as necessary.

Comments

[eolasemah]

Though Sina can feel the hostility radiating from Herian, she's determined not to rise to it and repeat their last meeting-- not right now, when there's Dalish business to deal with and she has to have her wits about her.
"Not much, no," she replies, and, getting to her feet, she offers her hands to help Pel up as well. "Only a clan has attacked Inquisition agents, and I've been asked to help with a parlay."

[mythalenaste]

Blurgh. Pel manages to get to her feet with rather more composure than she feels like she has. She has to save the steely countenance for later, when she needs it.

"Attacked and murdered," Pel elaborates. "We're here to demand the perpetrators be handed to the Inquisition for trial. Or we can bargain down to witnessing the trial and punishment as given by the Keeper, but that's not exactly ideal. For obvious reasons."

Keepers are generally in the habit of protecting their own, not executing them. At worst, they might eject someone from the clan, in which case the Inquisition can immediately take them into custody.

[dashing]

"The party was moving towards the estate of Lord Vauquelin. His daughter, the Lady Vauquelin, is a member of the Inquisition. Our party was comprised of Lord Luthor, the Grey Warden Alistair and Ser Bellamy of the Templars, Thranduil of realms beyond our own, the Lady Vauquelin herself and her maid, Guenievre."

Her mother, she wants to say. Her mother, a woman she was forced to deny in her life and now had to deny in death, as well. Herian has no desire to break her promise, nor endanger the Lady Vauquelin by exposing her secrets. Half breeds such as they found little kinship with either kind that had gone into the moulding of them, and for all that Herian was outspoken as to what she was, she would not force that life upon another.

"A mage attended with them, and appeared to lead the party, largely made up of rogues. When the party attacked us, I declared ourselves of the Inquisition, that we held no malicious intent in crossing these lands, and that we would not attack if they withdrew. When they continued to press the attack, we engaged them." So calm and so even, trying to present the facts as clearly as she might. There is no visible emotion as she continues, save for the tension between her shoulderblades. "It was Guinevere that was felled, an elven woman fleeing battle with the Lady that she served. Not a warrior on the field, but an unarmed woman, seeking safety. I have engaged with this Clan in the past, and this is not the first time they have attacked people who were unarmed."

[eolasemah]

Oh. Well.
That makes this a little more complicated than a little diplomacy jaunt, and Sina quite abruptly feels out of her depth. But she was called on for a reason, thin though it might be, and she nods slowly to what she's told. As Herian explains, something jogs Sina's memory.

"This clan," she asks quietly, "this is the same clan that attacked your friends from the alienage?" She'll never forget that chilling moment, of her own people recoiling from her earnest offer of assistance. She was surprised then to hear of this, and now, although the story is tragic, she can only hope it's the same clan. If it's just one, perhaps the problem isn't as widespread as Herian's associates-- and Herian-- seem to think it is.

[mythalenaste]

It was a thought Pel had had as well, but she doesn't want to give Herian the chance to get worked up. Well. More than she is usually worked up.

"If they are or they aren't, they're going to pay." She looks at each of the other two women, her pallor overtaken by a steely look. "We're on the same side, and have the same goal. And if a mage was leading the ones who murdered Guenievre, chances are the Keeper let it happen. If not, she'll be surprised and angry at one of her apprentices, and we can leverage that anger. But if the problem goes to the top, talking is going to be little more than a formality. Soon as we know that's the case, we ought to get out. Most Dalish would rather fight to the last than budge once they've made up their minds."

That last was for Herian's benefit, although Pel suspects she already knows it, or at least believes it.

[dashing]

"They are."

She waited until Pel has spoken before making her response, and waits a few moments longer to ensure her thoughts are properly organised, clearly set out, before she continues

"My intention is not to undermine your efforts, no matter my grievances with the Dalish. I stand only to ensure they are held fully accountable, and as a witness to both the attacks on the recent party, and on a group of refugees. I will make no spoken intervention unless they press too far, or we do not press enough."

Her jaw flexes, and she weighs her words further. "In my experience, your people favour themselves above all others, consider themselves elite. I would sooner not jeopardise that they listen to you."

[eolasemah]

Sina opens her mouth, and closes it again, perturbed deep down that both seem to have already resigned themselves to failing this attempt. Herian almost seems reasonable, and then she throws that last bit in to sour it all. This is already infinitely more stressful than anything Sina has ever dealt with, and she's beginning to wonder why she was chosen.
"Let me speak to them first," she requests, of both Herian and Pel, "we won't want to come on too strong until they're willing to listen." She eyes Pel anxiously-- as much as Sina loves her, she also knows what her temper can be like. At least Herian has already agreed to hold back at first.

[mythalenaste]

Pel gives Sina a nod.

"You're our best hope." Her lips tighten. "They did agree to this. I don't know what it means. Some of them have already shown they're perfectly fine with attacking the Inquisition."

Maybe it's her own paranoia talking. She's not sure.

[dashing]

"Mayhaps 'twas only the attack that was planned. That it struck against agents of the Inquisition and continued may have been no more than the mage leading the party expecting it to be no more than a noble making passage and refusing to stand down when the truth was revealed."

She was inclined to think the worse of the Dalish, true. That is why she continues, "I am ill at ease, but we cannot abandon this course. Whatever must be done to make them listen cannot fall so pleasingly upon their ears that it fails to address what they have done. Justice cannot be sacrificed to charm and flattering their egos."

[eolasemah]

"I'm not going to flatter them," Sina says icily, walking back to the horse to take her staff from where it's hooked. Then she unbridles it to graze and leads it to where the others' horses stand, ready to take off if necessary.
Staff in hand, she returns to the other two, her expression uncharacteristically hard with resolve.
"Let's go, then."

(shall we jump to the next thread?)