sulena: (85.)
saoirse ceallach ([personal profile] sulena) wrote in [community profile] faderift2017-08-20 08:01 pm

— kindness is what you showed to me

WHO: Saoirse Ceallach + OPEN
WHAT: Saoirse decides the best way to get information on some missing elves is to go undercover as a servant, it goes as well as you expect + some daily activities
WHEN: Throughout mid-to-late August
WHERE: Kirkwall, various
NOTES: Mentions of physical and verbal abuse.



— GALLOWS.


Her trips to the Gallows have grown in these past weeks. She comes to work with the other in the Chantry relations group and make sure that the small chapel and libraries are kept tidy. Other times, she helps in the kitchens and carries messages while re-learning the passageways that were once all that she knew. It was darker days then... many days that forced her to keep the smaller ones closer to her in vain attempts to protect and shield them from the violence that was becoming their every day.

Today, Saoirse has traveled far up into the Gallows to the large room where their Harrowings once took place. Her Harrowing took place here too. A dimly lit room, surrounded by Templars with hidden faces and her heart threatening to burst. She had passed, of course and became a mage while this place became a distant memory that only reappeared as more mages were made Tranquil and with some never returning at all. Carefully, she traces the outline of something in the gathered dust with the blade of her staff and breathes out a tried sigh.

She will not cry, not now. There was still far too much to do.


— ALIENAGE.

Kirkwall's alienage has become a second home for Saoirse these days. She comes to see the elves there almost every morning and leaves their company well after the sun has set in the evening. More often than not she is helping wherever she can lead a hand whether she is cleaning, minding children, gardening or teaching one of the various skills that she has acquired. Other times, she sits with the hahren and listens to her stories that she knows (stories that the hahren of Starkhaven did not know, or knew differently) and sips tea that smells of apples.

Today, she sits at the vhenadahl with a small handful of elven children. In her lap is a well-worn leather book, faded and barely holding together. She does not need it as she knows the Chant by heart and that includes the more... well, controversial verses:

"When the tale was finished, Andraste said to Shartan: Truly, the Maker has called you, just as He called me, to be a Light for your People..."


— THE HANGED MAN.

In truth, Saoirse is the sort of person that stands out inside of a tavern like the Hanged Man. A small, yet bright elf woman, barefoot and constantly surrounded by music. Although she has a variety of weathered instruments with her but the lute and pan whistle are seemingly her favorite. Her songs vary between the the joyous sort of tavern melody that one might except to the more somber ones for those darker, more quiet nights. Most songs are sung in the common tongue but every so often she sings in the language of her home, one that only those that called Starkhaven's alienage home would know.

Tonight has been a quieter night though she has led a drinking song earlier, mostly she has sat near the center of the tavern and played whatever melody came to her mind. Sometimes folk would come up, requesting both familiar and unfamiliar songs, otherwise she would wander until finding a patron and offering them a raised brow.

"I hope your evening has been well," she says with a brilliant smile. "Might you have a request?"


— HIGHTOWN.

The Egremont family is minor nobility among those in Kirkwall, but nevertheless a good place to start. She has heard the whispers among the women of the alienage to the eldest son's behavior and Lady Egremont's vicious words and even more vicious hand. There is always a need for servants, elven ones to hide in the shadows of the lower levels while their human counterparts took care of things upstairs. It is easy enough to earn a place among the elven servants, the older woman that conducts the interview certainly does her job to sell such terrible things as a blessing for someone so unfortunate as herself.

Her day starts before the sun raises and ends far after the sun sets. She washes, cleans and runs errands under harsh pressure. The head lady in waiting uses any excuse to punish them. A hair is out of place, their is a stain on their apron or their fingers have cracked from being worked raw. She strikes them with a heavy cane on their knuckles, shins and across the face. Once she does not get the laundry in before it rains and goes to sleep nursing two broken fingers that she urges to heal with what little creation magic she knows.

Later in the week, once her bruises have faded, she is set out to retrieve a delivery from a nearby seamstress. In her hurry out of the alley from the back entrance (there was nothing good about a elf entering a hightown store through the door, let alone one clearly dressed as a servant) she fails to look carefully, almost running into someone and very quickly bowing her head.

"I am terribly sorry." She says, hoping whomever it was would not send word back to the household. She could not do her job if she was bedridden. "You were not hurt... were you?"


— DOCKS.

She knows that the Egremont family is a dead end. As terrible as they are to their elven servants, they are not reasonable for the missing elves and she finds herself back at square one. A part of her wishes to end this ploy, find another way but there was much to learn within the walls of the Hightown estates. Information between servants could be worth their weight in gold and perhaps, just maybe, she could still find the lead she needed.

Yet as Saoirse nurses her bruised cheek and busted lip, she wonders if she can stand it. When she is allowed to sleep, the nights are filled with nightmares of the Gallows and the aftermath of its fall. Every strike brings back another bloody memory and prays that she could last long enough to find a thread to lead her to preventing more elves from vanishing.


— WILDCARD.

For anything not listed above! Feel free to hit me up through a PM or on plurk at [plurk.com profile] kaldwin if you'd like to set something up.
mythalenaste: (cold as the northern winds)

Alienage

[personal profile] mythalenaste 2017-08-21 03:23 am (UTC)(link)
Seeing Saoirse with the children, teaching, or going about doing chores, reminds Pel of what it was like to grow up expecting to be a Keeper. Deheune was very hands-on, and Pel was expected to be the same, filling in whatever gaps in the camp she could. If ever she sat idly, Deheune told her that somewhere, there was work to be done and she would find it. Saoirse is the same in her element. Someone, a long time ago, another city elf told Pel about the sense of community in an alienage, and it sounded so very much like a clan. Saoirse is part of this clan now. And she has elected to bring Pel to introduce to her clan. Pel's behavior doesn't just affect her now; it affects how Saoirse will be seen. She must be at her best. She must remember that she is the guest, the stranger, and not the Keeper.

She arrives with the sling tucked intricately, so that the baby can sit in it upright and facing out. Pel prefers that arrangement so that Sina can look out and see the world and learn it. Tucked in a small basket are numerous skeins of yarn, spun by her own hand--her common answer to the question of looking for work when she would otherwise be idle. She smiles at Saoirse as she approaches, but stands at the back, behind the children, listening to the lesson until it is over.
circleprodigy: (heartache)

Gallows

[personal profile] circleprodigy 2017-08-21 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
The Harrowing chamber isn't exactly a place Inessa had intended to visit, and yet upon recognizing where her wandering had taken her, she lingered. It's been years since seeing the inside of such a room, when she had emerged from her own Harrowing, realizing how easily her pride could have ended her life before it had truly begun. The lesson she had learned that day had never faded, echoing with her throughout the years, reminding her to keep her wits about her and remain vigilant. True tests never end.

Upon hearing that sigh, the slight elven woman steps forward quietly but not silently, pausing once she can recognize her company in the dim light. "...Saoirse?" It's a gentle prompt, not wanting to force conversation if the woman truly doesn't wish to speak. And yet, given that this place would hold more significance for her, she might want to unload.
gatheringstorm: (interested)

The Hanged Man

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-08-21 03:53 am (UTC)(link)
A regular at the Hanged Man even when she isn't working as a bouncer, Korrin has kept an eye on Saoirse since her arrival. The tavern can get rowdy at times, and she knows an elven woman can be an easy target, even one with magic. So whenever it seems that tension is in the air, Saoirse will conveniently find herself with tall, horned company lingering nearby. She doesn't even need to say anything for other patrons to get the message.

When approached, Korrin smiles and raises a glass in greeting before giving it some thought. "Hm...how about Once We Were? More mellow than my usual taste, but I'm in the mood for something mellow."
faithlikeaseed: (pb - can't be right)

Hightown

[personal profile] faithlikeaseed 2017-08-21 07:19 am (UTC)(link)
Hightown's not a good place for an elf not on obvious business to be alone, but that hasn't kept Myr from his stubborn explorations of it. The robes of a mage, an Inquisition insignia, and a hooded cloak to hide his ears--without view of which he might at a glance be mistaken for a short human, given his broad frame--go a long way toward keeping him safe, but none of them are a guarantee that he won't run out of luck and into trouble one of these days.

Or that trouble might run into him, as Saoirse nearly does. Instinct makes him jerk to a stop at the sound of hurried footsteps far too close to him and spares them both a collision.

"Maker's heart--!" He startles back a step, sucking in a surprised breath. "No, I'm fine, I'm--sorry myself for getting in your way. Are you all right?"
circleprodigy: (scar)

[personal profile] circleprodigy 2017-08-22 04:29 pm (UTC)(link)
As it seems her presence is not unwelcome, Inessa approaches and pauses by Saoirse though as always mindful of personal space. As much as she treasures it, she won't take it away from another. Listening to Saorise recount her experience, the young Warden stares downward sighs.

"I can't imagine how difficult that must have been, day to day. We never heard about the abuses here, not in our Circle; I didn't learn of them until long afterward. Life in Kinloch Hold could be strict, but...nothing compared to this. It must have taken a strong spirit to endure as long as you did." Her gaze is sympathetic and a little curious, wondering how she managed to keep her sanity when so many mages at the time had failed.
lyriumcarved: (little wolf)

Hanged Man

[personal profile] lyriumcarved 2017-08-23 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
Of course, he's here and drinking, in the usual spot. Or what's become his usual spot once again, since returning to this city. It's still not the same, without the others here, though Fenris oddly does appreciate the change of pace once in a while.

He's only half-listening at the moment, but then is surprised when she approaches him. He'd been taking care to be as unapproachable as possible, too (well... ok, not really).

"It's been well enough. As for a request... I'm not all that sure what to pick. Is there a favorite song that you particularly enjoy playing?"
gatheringstorm: (pensive)

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2017-08-23 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
As the song begins, the Vashoth woman pushes back her chair and props her feet up on the table. Since it doesn't look as though she'll be sharing it any time soon, Korrin allows herself that much until there's a pressing need to stand. She takes a sip of her ale, her free hand holding a dragon scrimshaw. It's rough, the work of an obvious newbie, but she stares at with a melancholy fondness all the same.
eolasemah: (uncertain)

Hightown

[personal profile] eolasemah 2017-08-23 07:37 am (UTC)(link)
Sina is carrying her basket of seeds, which is nearly upended when Saoirse rushes past. Being who she is, however, Sina isn't about to shout at her, and is actually quite alarmed to see that the face looking back at her is a familiar one. Her brow knits and she scans over Saoirse, trying to puzzle the situation together.

"Are you a servant?" she asks dumbly, a genuine expression of bewilderment. Isn't Saoirse part of the Inquisition? ...isn't she a healer? what
lyriumcarved: (I don't brood)

[personal profile] lyriumcarved 2017-08-24 03:07 am (UTC)(link)
He recognizes her, as well. She's been singing here pretty often, lately, though he'd never bothered to approach her. Usually, he's kept more or less to himself. It's different, these days. But she seems friendly enough, anyway, and he's in a somewhat better mood than usual. He's managed to get his mansion back, after all, and he's been on and off going after other slavers he'd tracked down from the ones who'd been living there.

"I can't say I'm too familiar with the languages of the alienages." He tends to ignore certain aspects of elven culture, steering well clear of it for a number of reasons. Though languages in general do interest him. If only because knowing different ones has served him well many times over. "But I wouldn't mind hearing something strange, this time."
faithlikeaseed: (pb - welp)

[personal profile] faithlikeaseed 2017-08-24 04:28 pm (UTC)(link)
He'd blink if he could, taken aback both by the repeated apology and the note of near-panic behind it. Servant, he thinks, and likely another elf since she sounds near his own height--which means she's liable for mistreatment if she's not back on time.

That new piece of knowledge curdles sick in his gut and he takes another step back, hoping he's out of her way; dismay's written clear on his face, even beneath the hood and the blindfold. "Forgive me for delaying you," he says, and some mad instinct prompts him to add, "Though I'd be glad to go with you and explain my fault in it to your lady."

What are you thinking? That she's unlikely to accept. That the badge of the Inquisition might have some tenuous social power here, and he might forestall a minor injustice even if he can't do a damned thing about the greater one.
arcaneadvisor: (Default)

gallows;

[personal profile] arcaneadvisor 2017-08-24 06:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Moving from the Gallows to Sundermount is a slow process but at least Morrigan is getting out and away even if it's in stages. A temporary stay in a former Circle that was once a prison (and was ever a prison, give it whatever name you wish but that never changes the intent behind those behind it) is more than enough in her opinion. Kieran at least had barely known it more than a few nights of rest after travel, safely tucked away with Gwenaelle or as safe as she might make him here. Better than him ever living in the shadow of a place where red lyrium and suffering called home.

Today is a day about working, returned from the Wilds as she is full of as many questions as she left with if not more. A slender volume tucked under her arm, Morrigan's getting some space from what she's been working on in her office. Behind her heavy door. (Solid oak, witchy spells, Sabine was never wrong about what was required to keep things both in and out.) Walking without a plan, without direction and this is where she finds herself, peering inside at-- well she knows the elven woman not but Morrigan is curious, always has been, so she stares for a time before announcing herself.

"I have seen only one Harrowing chamber before this one, in Kinloch Hold. More than ten years ago now though given the circumstances…'tis hard to say how alike two may be."
justice_is_blond: (A small atonement)

Gallows

[personal profile] justice_is_blond 2017-08-24 08:22 pm (UTC)(link)
He hates the Gallows. Weeks upon weeks of being here hasn't changed that. They've taken away some of the anxiety he has about the place, but so many of the rooms are reminders of how many he hadn't managed to save and they weigh him down.

The trek up to the Harrowing Chamber in particular is emotionally exhausting, but he hasn't been up here yet and he feels he owes it to some nebulous force of guilt that always sits in the back of his mind.

Someone else already being here isn't expected, and Anders stops in the doorway, clearing his throat after a moment. "Did you want to be here alone?" It's an offer he'd only make to a mage.
faithlikeaseed: (pb - you're kidding right)

[personal profile] faithlikeaseed 2017-08-25 06:40 am (UTC)(link)
"--Ah." Well. As with everything that unsettles people's lives... He ghosts his fingers against the insignia pinned to his cloak, put there as a safeguard against evil-intentioned cowards--considers a moment--and removes it, slipping it into a belt pouch for safekeeping.

This isn't smart. He knows it isn't smart. But he can't not respond to someone in such obvious distress, doubly so if she's a kinswoman. "Then I don't go as a soldier of the Inquisition. It isn't a bother--I'm here to learn my way around the city, and you surely know it better than I do.

"But--" He's near to being overbearing and detaining her and making her later besides, which wasn't his intent. "--if you tell me 'no,' I won't follow."
eolasemah: (angry)

[personal profile] eolasemah 2017-08-26 11:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Sina gasps, then immediately bristles in outrage, stepping forward to gently touch Saoirse's face. She herself has been here dealing with the fallout from the Chantry forest, which will likely be an issue for a while, and demands constant attention.
"Yes," she answers seriously, "who did this?" They may or may not be about to have a tree grown up their arse where they stand.
justice_is_blond: (A small atonement)

[personal profile] justice_is_blond 2017-08-27 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
He nods, coming in to the room at her words.

"I believe it. You weren't hauled up here today suddenly, and it's not the middle of the night? Those seem to be fairly universal for Harrowings. Mine was... more early than it should have been, but I did pass." He gives her a small smile due to how obvious the last part is.

"Hopefully this will be altered forever too. There's been enough hurling children at a demon uninformed. If they're taught the dangers, guided in with an escort so they learn the signs, and told beforehand what they're going into, they could actually learn from the process rather than simply survive it." He tries to keep his voice calm rather than giving into the passion he feels on the topic; there's a need to keep things calm here.

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