faderift | OPEN LOG: Establishing a Base in Kirkwall

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

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It came from a teasing and loving place, after all she was monster and terrible darling to him, and if it weren't for him would she have ever come to peace with being able to seal rifts the way she had? "I'll tell you about the throne room one day, the uniforms we wear to match Leandra's gowns, or how we all dress at parties, when I'm less tired." Maybe those rules aren't so complicated because it's just a Castilean thing compared to Orlais but explaining the ins and outs of why they have to do what they do back home wouldn't work when she's cracking her jaw from yawning every other word.

"We don't have a bath." Araceli's complaint is bordering on petulant and she knows it but there are certain things a girl is accustomed to and for her it's a certain standard of bathing. "I'll get you a hammock Lux, you enjoyed being in one on the voyage, I know I did."

(Comfortable and practical, okay.)

Korrin. Korrin no, why would you say that. "Not so loud." People aren't looking but there are plenty of things people were't aware of Araceli ever hearing that she would take back to the rookery in Skyhold every third day after a night of drinking and gambling. But because she has to know these things in order to do her job, or so she tells herself because curiosity is a terrible thing and you'll justify it however you have to sometimes, "Could they?"

Because Korrin has little brain-to-mouth filter, that's why. She's positive everyone is thinking it anyway, it's just herself who hasn't bothered to pretend otherwise. However, despite her extremely blunt ways, she doesn't actually want to damage morale. That's fragile enough as it is, Maker knows. "Fine, fine. I'll lower my voice. And as far as I know, yes, they could. So please stay alert when there, kadan. I don't think that place is going to be safe for the unwary for a long, long time."

And yes, she would readily take on animated statues if need be, but that's a memory she prefers not to have. The Gallows have her on edge enough as it is, she doesn't need more reason for her skin to craw while there. To distract herself, she sends additional morsels Lux's way to soften the blow of him not getting his way in everything when he's a walking stink cloud.

"We have the communal baths, don't we? It's the single good reason to visit that shithole, we can always take advantage of it until we get a tub of our own. And we will, promise. It's on the to-do list, as soon as we have the room for it." Skyhold may have been a magnet for her complaints about what was wrong with the South (namely, the cold) but one thing the fortress had going for it was a spot for a nice soak whenever they wanted it. They may not be able to match that exactly, but damned if she won't try to get as close as she can, for comfort's sake.

Araceli does not pinch her brow because she's in public. Because she's had too much practice before coming to Thedas and more since the Nightingale took her on as a student but she's being severely tested by everything at the moment. The day her temper finally snaps isn't going to be pretty and she can only hope it's a day she gets away from everyone and everything. She doesn't want anyone to see her losing that neat little facade she has, whatever ones they've seen her wear or however long and how well they know her. "Understood, though is there not something. About emotions and the Fade and the Veil and spirits?"

Or is she mixing it up because she doesn't understand it all at the best of times and she's too tired to really grasp it? But some of it just feels like they're setting themselves up for something because they're clinging to the past. Again. Trapped in old skins to be shed.

"Your buildings aren't tall like ours, but I had pretty much one big room just with things sectioned off. Everything came with it, not the dishes or the bedding but the bed, the bath, those things, they were there. I need to find out who won't charge either of us the world for those things." Also lanterns because she'd like to be able to read without dealing with the constant candle situation but that can wait a little longer.

"I would help, but you're cute and charming all on your own. Besides, they'd take one look at me and charge extra because they think my huge-ass self will break everything just by breathing." So insulting, that. Korrin's tread isn't quiet nor is her voice, but she takes care keep her surroundings intact and in good shape, and living among smaller races without horns has already taught her to be careful. "I could totally go for one big room partitioned off in various ways, though. Something nice and open and not cramped as hell."

...and I'm not a Fade expert by any stretch, but there's some truth in things happening on this side of the Veil thinning it out and attracting spirits drawn to that type of emotion. Battlegrounds can attract rage demons, or slums can draw in despair demons, things like that. In a place where so many people were abused for so long, it could easily draw in plenty of both. I could tell you stories about places I've seen where that shit happened, like the forest in Ferelden where so many elves and vints fought over time that the Veil had more holes in it than a lace doily. But no matter how awful those areas were, I always knew we'd be leaving as soon as we could. It's not like we were setting up to live there."

She shakes her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "Don't worry, kadan. It's my issue; I'm not used staying in one place and dealing with its accumulated crap, but Tama didn't help raise any delicate snowflakes. I have to deal with it, so I will, end of story."

Araceli wants to argue. Wants to say that no, they wouldn't. That they aren't like that. But she knows the truth and doesn't lie to Korrin about things like that so she only sighs. So she broadens the subject. "If you know anyone else who wants to live by there, let me know, it would make sense to go in and have a plan, either to get a deal on multiple places or so that whoever sells or rents them out knows that people are serious." Multiple options, multiple angles. (Always looking to gain.)

"So." Clearing her throat she lets that sink in, tries to make better sense of it and what might have to be asked. "Demons and spirits reach out...the longer people feel the way that they do, the worse it gets, and then there are more of those things or they reach out. So the serpent devours itself and we are all caught in the same loop." Terrible things happen but this has to work and sooner rather than later everyone is going to have to make their peace with it before it becomes worse and not just for them. She doesn't let her homesickness swallow her the way it could or her frustrations at being here instead of where she could be. No. She does as she's asked when someone asks it. She pitches in. She gets on with it. Fills in the time and makes a damn life.

It's what you do.

Eventually she'll run out of patience, and the end result won't be pretty for the people involved.

"Yeah, something like that. But just because it's likely doesn't mean it's inevitable. There are a shit-ton of factors that go into that sort of thing, and sometimes they don't all align. That can be described better by those studying the rifts, though. I just know that if we have to stay here, then I'll fight for the chance to make it even a little less of a clusterfuck. It's better than sitting around and doing nothing."

Korrin smiles wryly, always choosing to fight if there's the slightest of chances. It's one of those traits that has the potential to go either way, in terms of helpfulness. "When we're both off at the same time and not dying to catch up on some rest, let's find a good view at the docks and unwind, eh? I'll even manage some parkour if that's what it takes."

Araceli nods even if she knows that this is Thedas where it likes to repeat itself time and time again, the same wars, the same conflicts, the same struggles, all of them played out every age or so to see if the world has decided upon a victor or if someone will move up or down in the pecking order. "Let us hope the Inquistion can do better," she decides, even if there are perhaps a few too many of the old guard lurking around than she would like.

Sometimes you need to cut away at it, sweep the legs out from under them and keep walking when they scream at you about it. Leave the relics behind to be forgotten about and either fall in line behind you or remain where they are as a lesson.

"If you're going to do that you have to come to the lessons, same as everyone else." No you don't get a free pass just because you've been dating the instructor for over a year with the sort of gifts traded that some people might consider it a marriage perhaps or a statement of intent if either of them were that way inclined. "When I have the lessons up and running again since I can do them properly here for the first time."

That gets a laugh out of Korrin, who knows better than to refuse such a request. "Fine, I'll step up my game. It's not like I'd want you to give me slack, anyway." Maybe she'll never be Araceli levels of awesome when it comes to climbing and parkour, but that doesn't mean there's no hope for her, and she's just as willing to earn it. "Pick a spot up high and when I can reach it, we'll have that date."

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OPEN LOG: Establishing a Base in Kirkwall

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