faderifting: (Default)
Fade Rift Mods ([personal profile] faderifting) wrote in [community profile] faderift2017-04-02 10:59 pm

OPEN LOG: Establishing a Base in Kirkwall

WHO: Many People
WHAT: Cleaning up Kirkwall
WHEN: Cloudreach 1-21
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: This log post is for characters who go early to Kirkwall to assist in preparing it for the rest of those assigned there. We strongly encourage IC discussion of things left to character discretion—someone should definitely do a crystal post to discuss what to do with the personal belongings left behind in the Gallows or what new form the statues should take!


Kirkwall once lived on the edge of the Tevinter Imperium and was home to nearly a million slaves. Stolen from elven lands or shipped from across the sea, all slaves fed the Imperium's unquenchable thirst for expansion. They worked in massive quarries and sweltering foundries that produced stone and steel for the Empire.

The city's complicated past is not easy to forget, history having earmarked many corners of the stone city. A ship approaching the harbor spots the city's namesake: an imposing black wall. It is visible for miles, and carved into the cliff side are a pantheon of vile guardians representing the Old Gods. Over the years, the Chantry has effaced many of these profane sentinels, but it will take many more years to erase them all.

Also carved into the cliff is a channel that permits ships into the city's interior. Flanking the channel are two massive bronze statues—the Twins of Kirkwall. The statues have a practical use. Kirkwall sits next to the narrowest point of the Waking Sea, and a massive chain net can be erected between the statues and the lighthouse, closing off the only narrow navigable lane. This stranglehold on sea traffic is jealously guarded by the ever-changing rulers of the city as the net trolls taxes, tolls, and extortions in from the sea.


—From In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of a Chantry Scholar, by Brother Genitivi




Establishing a presence in Kirkwall is a delicate matter. First, there's Provisional Viscount Bran Cavin—a man so used to batting back friendly offers of entirely harmless occupation of the battered city-state that his first three responses to the Inquisition's leadership appeared to be slightly personalized form letters. Proving that the Inquisition is here to work and not to conquer will be a process. The first step in that process is the second reason the move is delicate: the only building the Provisional Viscount is willing to part with is the Gallows, left quarantined and unoccupied since Knight-Commander Meredith Stannard's famous crystallization into red lyrium in the courtyard. The Gallows have since overgrown with red lyrium. If anyone is going to live and work there, there's a lot of work to do.

↠ Cloudreach 1-3: The Journey There
↠ Cloudreach 3-4: Arrival
↠ Cloudreach 4-14: Haunted
↠ Cloudreach 14-21: Spring Cleaning
gatheringstorm: (crossed arms)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-04-12 03:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"You've read the Chant of Light by now, right? That's all about the Maker's bruised ego. Because of the actions of a few, he turned his back on his creations. He did it when mortals were seduced by jealous spirits into worshiping the Old Gods and because the magistered dared to reach the Golden City, so he cursed them into becoming darkspawn. If creating the Blights that have nearly destroyed the world five times by now isn't disproportionate retribution, I don't know what is. And then he did it again when Andraste was betrayed and martyred, once again condemning everyone else for the actions of a few. His ego is so easily bruised that if he returned, I bet he would leave again just because someone sneezed wrong."
kartereo: (09  Hunched over facepalm)

[personal profile] kartereo 2017-04-12 10:23 pm (UTC)(link)
"I've only skimmed the surface, I admit," Waver said, a tinge of color in his cheeks. Boning up with religion was on the to-do list, but that list was a mile long at this point and it wasn't at the top.

Clearly that needed to change.

"But frankly, that feels less like bruised ego and more like a deeply childish personality."
gatheringstorm: (smirk)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-04-13 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
Korrin notices the tinge of color and grins. "Don't say that near a Chantry sister, they'll guilt trip you like it's running out of style."

Taking another swig, she glances lazily around before looking back to him. "I'd say both. One can feed into another and blur the lines. The Dalish might have some interesting stories about their Creators, too. One of them was the god of vengeance and he fought the sun or something like that. You'll probably want to ask one of the Dalish for better context.
kartereo: (12 Embarassed)

[personal profile] kartereo 2017-04-13 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
"I can survive a guilt trip or ten."

He could tune those out rather easily. "I can ask Merrill then, since she uh," he paused, then shook his head. "She indulges me asking very stupid and obvious questions."
gatheringstorm: (half-smile)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-04-13 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
Mention of Merrill gets a warm smile out of her, though one tinged with a slight sadness. Dammit, Mal. "She's very patient like that, I've learned. And she's also spent several years in Kirkwall before, so she could be a good person to ask about local stuff."
kartereo: (Default)

[personal profile] kartereo 2017-04-13 12:15 pm (UTC)(link)
"Now that part I didn't know," Waver said. He mostly spoke to her in the capacity of a student, which meant that he rarely inquired about inner lives. Respecting that kind of privacy was something some students back home forgot to do, and so Waver made an effort not to be that guy.

"The way everyone talks about this place, I might've expected it to be reflected in personality."
gatheringstorm: (amused)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-04-13 03:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"Heh, right? It's an undeniable shithole, no denying the facts. Some people behave as though they were born to it, whether they were or not. And others...well, either they don't last long or they have some secret they aren't sharing with the rest. I wouldn't ask Merrill for directions, though. Varric said she got lost here almost every day." She smirks and pauses for another sip, remembering his story about the ball of twine.
kartereo: (12 Embarassed)

[personal profile] kartereo 2017-04-13 11:02 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, it isn't like this place is on a grid." Then again, many old cities weren't. Not being on a grid was no excuse.

"But it was that bad?"
gatheringstorm: (mod 12)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-04-14 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
"...yes?" Said in the same tone as 'do bears shit in the woods'. Then Korrin remembers he's a rifter and that context is important. "Ice-queen Meredith was the Templar in charge for a long time, and though she technically answered to the Chantry, the Grand Cleric basically sat on her ass and let her abuse mages as she pleased. Normal Circles are pretty harsh; compared to those, Kirkwall was a hellhole prison for them. Between Templar treatment and the already thin nature of the Veil, it's no wonder that so many turned to blood magic in their desperation. A stupid, stupid decision but that's what happens when people are grasping at straws. Between a mage -Anders- blowing up the Chantry and destroying a lot of the city and lives in the process, and the Qunari rampaging through the city some years before that, the fact that I'm both makes it ever-so-fun to be here, let me tell you."
Edited 2017-04-14 02:27 (UTC)
kartereo: (09  Hunched over facepalm)

[personal profile] kartereo 2017-04-14 04:05 pm (UTC)(link)
"I meant about Merrill getting lost."

Moreover, that was a lot of information to take in in one go, so Waver breathes out through his nose and slowly rubs his temples.

"The rest I can only react to in a single word, and that is fuck."
gatheringstorm: (wry smile)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-04-14 04:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Korrin laughs quietly at that, raising her drink and flashing him a crooked smile. "Yeah, pretty much. There's no part of it that doesn't suck. I'm telling you now so that you have some defense later for when you hear it's even worse. Because I've only passed through here before, not lived in it, so I'm sure there's a lot of shit I don't even know about."

Or probably wants to know about, ever. "...and yeah, that's what Varric said. He gave her a ball of twine so that she could find her way back, I think it saw use for years."
kartereo: (11 Looking downward angrily)

[personal profile] kartereo 2017-04-14 06:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Waver's face looked as if he had just downed an entire lemon in one go. "I believe my only defense is hunkering down and waiting for the big guns to come in." Story of his life, come to think of it. "But is there any way I can help you deal with stupid biases?"

That was a far more practical thought than digging into the great book of Why Kirkwall Is Terrible, by the Entire Population of Thedas.

"You know what's the worst part here? I find myself doubting that statement more than anything that has been said about this entire place."
gatheringstorm: (dread)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-04-14 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'd say ask Varric yourself, but...I don't know where he is, at the moment. He didn't come back over with us, did he? Maybe the Inquisition needs him elsewhere." A shame, that. He would be a guide much less likely to get them lost.

"There probably isn't much you can do, other that alert Inquisition agents if there's a forming mob we need to be aware of, but...do you know Kas? A scout and Vashoth, like me? A good kid with a good heart, but he's also kind of a hot-head and doesn't always think things through. I've been meaning to talk to him about keeping a lid on that temper here anyway, but if you see anything happening around him, let me know before it escalates?"
kartereo: (11 Looking downward angrily)

[personal profile] kartereo 2017-04-14 11:33 pm (UTC)(link)
"If he did, I didn't see him." Waver sighed, but then again. "Probably easier to find Merrill and ask her. Find the ball of twine until it leads back to hr."

Speaking with her in general was probably a good idea, come to think of it.

"I'll keep an eye out," and the way he said it, it was clearly a promise. "And if frankly there's more than three people muttering, I'll let someone know. Easier to nip things in the bud with numbers that low."
gatheringstorm: (relieved)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-04-15 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
"Thanks, seriously." Korrin manages a tired smile, relaxing a little. "It's enough of an uphill battle as it is, just being here, without adding to it everything that could go wrong."

Because let's face it, that's a seriously long list.
kartereo: (06 Lighting up)

[personal profile] kartereo 2017-04-15 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
"I thought everything that could go wrong was already a part of the uphill battle. I didn't realize it was extra."

This needed more than a drink. Waver pauses, and reaches into the pocket of his coat.

"Do you mind if I smoke?"
gatheringstorm: (reclined)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-04-15 03:25 pm (UTC)(link)
"It's like an onion, with layers of deeper awfulness." At that question, Korrin shrugs. "As long as you're not blowing it in my face, knock yourself out. If I couldn't handle a little smoke in the area, I'd never be able to enter a tavern."
kartereo: (10 Leaning on books)

[personal profile] kartereo 2017-04-15 05:34 pm (UTC)(link)
"Not everyone likes the smell," Waver said by way of explanation. His hand disappeared back into his coat pocket, and he plucked a match out. "I try to be aware of that."

But no matter. With the cigarette lit, Waver shifted so that Korrin would be downwind.

"Also the onion metaphor works but go deeper. Kirkwall is a terrible onion farm, and each onion bulb is it's own set of ever worsening issues. The farm is probably going to be bankrupt any day too."
gatheringstorm: (judging)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-04-16 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
"And then a high dragon arrives from the Bone Pit to burn it all down anyway, because yes, there was a mine with a fucking dragon in it. For all I know, a new one could have shown up by now.

...don't tell that to Kain, he'd go looking for it and get his dumbass Reaver self killed." Snorting at the recklessness of Reavers in general, she downs the rest of her drink.
kartereo: (04 Ominous face)

[personal profile] kartereo 2017-04-16 01:44 am (UTC)(link)
"--Uh."

Waver stares, cigarette barely just hanging onto his lip.

"Has anyone gone to double check this dragon situation? Because if there is one there, maybe we should take care of it sooner rather than later?"
gatheringstorm: (armor of the dragon)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-04-16 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
"Why, you volunteering?" Korrin stretches, looking thoughtful. "I wouldn't mind going. It'd be a break from Circle mage hell, anyway. Since Kirkwall hasn't been put out of its misery yet, I'm guessing either the mines are still empty or whatever's there doesn't give a shit, but it never hurts to check it out, just in case."
kartereo: (04 Ominous face)

[personal profile] kartereo 2017-04-16 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"I wasn't, but now it seems like I'm going to." Waver's inner monologue chided him for opening his mouth. "As long as we don't have to engage the thing in combat, I suppose I'll survive."
gatheringstorm: (smirk)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-04-17 12:01 am (UTC)(link)
"Though it is the ultimate way to put those grenades lessons to use. Think it could work as a final exam?" Korrin flashes a grin, obviously not about to endanger students like that. They're lucky not to be part of some merc bands she knows, because they absolutely would have done that. "It'd be scouting, not fighting...not unless we've no other choice. I'll ask Fenris about going there soon, since he's been to that area."
kartereo: (10 Leaning on books)

[personal profile] kartereo 2017-04-17 12:11 am (UTC)(link)
"I'll agree to this only if you get Fenris to come along with. Because we'll need a third person to go run for back up if it comes to it."

Part of Waver worried that a grenade might only make a dragon very, very angry.

"But otherwise, sure. Let's blow up a dragon. If nothing else, we'll bear distinction for the sheer novelty of the kill."
gatheringstorm: (watchful)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-04-17 01:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"Alright, I'll contact him over the crystal soon. If nothing else, he can confirm or dismiss any new sightings, and that will give us an edge." Korrin forces herself to stand, so she can refill her glass. "Call it crazy, you're probably not wrong, but I'll just be glad to be somewhere that isn't here for a while. If the Bone Pit has a dragon but the Veil is less fucked up than here, I'll still consider it a nice break."

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