faderift | [closed] the turn of the screw

WHO: Teren, Alistair, Anders, Benevenuta, Bethany, Kaisa
WHAT: Senior Warden von Skraedder brings a small gaggle of ~~fools~~ Wardens (and a Mortalitasi for some reason) along to investigate a sighting of the Architect in southern Nevarra. Mischief is afoot!
WHEN: Timey wimey, Haring-ish
WHERE: around and about Perendale
NOTES: there is no Architect but at least the cake is real

[OOC notes first: every round or so, feel free to do a coin-flip "idea" roll, then either send me a screencap of your diceroller or do it on Discord so I can see. If you get heads, proceed to roll a 1d5 and I will PM you a bit of insight for your character to have gleaned based on the circumstances.
For all anyone currently knows (with the exception of Teren and Benevenuta), the Architect is their prime directive and there is no reason to suspect otherwise.

I will be adding new legs to the journey once we've reached a reasonable transition, so the threads and available information will be limited to what's currently visible.

Also, if you could try to keep fewer than two days between each tag, that would be amazing!]

The journey is a long one, and it's in the dead of winter, which means it isn't a lot of fun. They at least have horses, on loan from the Inquisition save for those who have their own, and Teren leads the expedition on the rangy and agreeable black gelding she tends to borrow.

She's her usual self, curt and withdrawn and pensive, though she takes care of hers and is vigilant about ensuring everyone stays together, especially in the brutal snows that blow relentlessly over Orlais' northern plains.
She had approached each Warden initially, explaining that she had received news from Weisshaupt and wanted to take a small delegation to address its concerns: the Architect has been sighted in the north, not far from the border between Nevarra and Tevinter. Teren's old stomping grounds.

Summoned for her familiarity with the region, Teren has grudgingly accepted the call, but knows it would be suicide to make it a solo recon mission. Anders and Bethany are brought for their healing and warding talents, Alistair and Kaisa for their fighting prowess, and the non-Warden Benevenuta.. for... some reason, that isn't entirely clear to anyone else.

Their mission is to find the Architect, and if unable to apprehend him, to gather as much information on the situation as possible before returning to Skyhold.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Benevenuta's resemblance to her mother is - debatable, as she favours her father's colouring, his mother's features. In looks, only a little, only something of the shape of her face, perhaps. In the way she holds her mouth, in her mannerisms and her expressions, it is more marked; enough that, ignorant of her mother's history in Tevinter beyond the fact of it, she steers as clear of falling under the Artimaeuses' eyes as she does of Thessaly Barrett, who is more obviously positioned to clock a woman who has spent her entire adult life in the heart of the Nevarran court.

Avoiding the three of them is easy enough when she's designed to be ignored, and in being so has the opportunity to approach Florien, or - fall naturally into his orbit, as if accidental, as Anders passes her with his key and musters in the corner with Bethany and Kaisa.

This feels like a trap.

If it is, the butler will tell her little of use - but taking his temperature might gauge how close and how sharp. He ought to have all of the house keys bar those in the keeping of his mistress, who seems a woman unlikely to have misplaced anything; the right prompt might show her if he's missing one or not.

"Your pardon," she says, letting someone else's passage in the room turn her more sharply than it seems she planned and catching herself, not ungracefully, before she would have barrelled into him; the hem of her skirts swirl at his feet, but there is no collision, too carefully timed.

"Mm? Yes?"
Florien turns quickly and offers a reassuring smile, noting the maid's hesitance and finding it quite unwarranted. He is arguably the friendliest person here, and what he's doing working for this woman is... perhaps a story for another time, or just a fluke.

Hesitation only insofar as any person might hesitate to greet a stranger - particularly one responsible for the smooth running of an already interrupted evening - with an elbow to the sternum. Whatever he imagines he sees is not there in the clear-eyed smile she gives him, clarifying, "For the slip." Or the narrowly avoided one, at least -

Though that exchange in itself, perhaps, has told her all she nends to know about this man's awareness of his surroundings. It's almost impressive.

"I must commend you while I have you, though- accommodating my lady with such aplomb. You run a neat household." If her eyes track to her own party with a touch of the dismals - well, she can't often be receiving similar compliments on the smooth running of that group. Perhaps she's in the market for a new job.

Florien beams, clearly touched by her comment. "Oh, well thank you, thank you!" he says, either not noticing her subtle look or taking care to appear as though he hasn't noticed.
"Is there something I can do for you? Is Madame d'Arriere quite comfortable?"

[closed] the turn of the screw

Florien.

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