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

[universal_charm]

He nodded quietly. "I've dealt a bit with it before. I have been here a year, you know," he reminded him, which was always a shock just to himself to hear it aloud, but it was the truth. Still, he kept in mind to keep it civil and to not argue to much. He didn't have a lot of cash to spare, but he didn't want to cheat the man either - or be cheated.

Glancing at the man with the scar he nodded quietly to Anders and made for him, raising his hand slightly in friendly greeting. "Well met," he said by way of introduction and began his haggling, hoping he was getting a good deal. If Anders said the man was fairly honest and preferred quantity sold, he hoped it would work in his favor.

[justice_is_blond]

"In Skyhold. Kirkwall is a different entity entirely," he replied.

All the same, Kirk was doing a fairly good job with Taylon. The second man at the table looked more upset as the haggling went on, but Taylon seemed fine and after a few minutes of conversation Taylon held his hand out to shake on the deal.

It might not be the best Kirk could possibly have gotten, but he'd done better than many Anders had seen so he gets a nod.

[universal_charm]

Kirk nodded, at least feeling like he hadn't been taken to much advantage of, which was something. He turned back to Anders and moved away with him before speaking, not wanting to call unwanted attention. Not that to men speaking would do that, but one never knew and he would rather hedge his bets than start a potential riot and lose the deal he'd just made.

"Right, so what next? Or should we quite while we're ahead for the day and get some beer?"

Maybe wraps?

[justice_is_blond]

He chuckled at the question.

"Let's quit while we're ahead and have a beer. It will take time for the materials to be delivered, after all, and I'm assuming you don't want to carry its full weight to the docks. They've employees just for that."

Anders tilted his head in the direction of a tavern nearby. It wasn't the Hanged Man, but it would do.

"We can work again when he's been delivered."