OPEN LOG: Establishing a Base in Kirkwall

[faderifting]

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

Comments

[kartereo]

At the words stay back, Waver is quick to do just that, finding a handy little spot in an alcove that provides just enough cover for him to be safe and to have a good vantage points of the proceedings.

The statue's flailing with a remaining arm is no small disturbing sight, but his eyes remain trained on the thing's approach and the immeidate area behind it. Another statue's approach would be impossible to hear over the cacaphony of battle, but visually the same wouldn't hold true.

When the thing goes down, down and seems to be staying down, Waver walks back out, ears straining for anything nearby. He frowns, then looks to his left.

"There's another one in that direction," he indicates dryly as h approaches both Diana and the now fallen statue. "But far enough away that someone else can deal with it. Here--" he continues, shrugging his gold colored scarf and offering it to Diana once she's up and on her feet.

His attention remains on the statue though, now still. That should be enough, but a frown remains on Waver's face. The thing's head is still attached.

"Best to destroy the head, I think."

[intruthandlove]

She takes the scarf with thanks, letting the head of the hammer drop to the floor again and leaning her weight a little on the handle as she wipes grit and shards out of her eyes. Wouldn't that be her fortune to blind herself again in another fight?

"They seem to come without end," Diana says, "I suppose I should be thankful they don't shoot lightning from their hands or something." She follows Waver's gaze, grimly nodding. "Aye. Stand back."

These aren't normal rocks after all, one hopes that shattering the head will be enough to keep it down, but she wouldn't put any tricks past it. Magic could be funny that way. She hefts the hammer up over her head and puts all her force, leashed or not, into the swing. It connects to the remnants of the things head with a noise not unlike a thunderclap.

[kartereo]

Waver moves himself out of the radius of debris with sure feet, and only comes back once he knows the dust is settled. He waves his hand in front of his face just to be sure, and offers a dark smile.

"Lightning? Don't give them any ideas."

It wasn't likely to happen, but any risk of these statues having greater power was not something Waver liked at all. "The walls have ears, and eyes, and very angry feelings, as it turns out."

[intruthandlove]

Her laugh is a little muffled as she wipes her face with the scarf again, carefully shaking it out when she's done.

"They must not appreciate our renovations," Diana says lightly, giving Waver a smile of her own. It's less dark, but this is perhaps one of the more normal things Diana's encountered here so far. Angry attacking rocks? Sure, why not. She offers the scarf back to him, "I've made a mess of it, but thank you. What's your name?"

[kartereo]

"It'll get cleaned," he says, taking it back and folding it up. It then disappears into one of the inner pockets of his coat.

"I'm Waver," he continues, extending his hand. "And no, no one seems to, which is quite unfortunate."