MOD PLOT: NOT ALONE DO WE STAND, PART 1

[faderifting]

WHO: Anyone who wants to attend
WHAT: THE GRAND TOURNEY
WHEN: Bloomingtide 20-27
WHERE: Wycome
NOTES: We'll be rolling one or two events per day, in the order listed, and posting the results here! That's also where you can find your diplomacy or espionage assignments and their results. There will be a second log post in about five days regarding the end of the tournament, to give people a place to RP about the competitions' results once they know them and to react to some other surprise developments, so leave some room for dessert.

The Grand Tourney is one of Thedas's greatest spectacles--all the nations of the world and plenty of others besides turned out to compete in this edition of the famous test of arms. The Duke of Wycome has granted the use of a broad plain outside the city, a vast open span of grass bounded on both sides by minor forks of the Minanter making their way to the sea, and split down the center by another. Scores of the duke's men have been hard at work since the announcement, constructing stands and arenas, the rough wooden rails and benches of the commons and luxurious boxes for the more exalted spectators, lifted above the masses and shaded by awnings, draped with bunting in Wycome's brilliant purple and gold.

Between and among the competition grounds are stalls and roving vendors selling anything and everything, most popular the vast open-sided tents filled with trestle tables and benches and neverending barrels of ale and wine as tall as a qunari. Stages of various sizes dot the grounds, hosting musicians, dancers, tumblers, performers of all kinds. Others wander through the crowds, putting on impromptu shows wherever it looks like there are enough people with free coin about.

A half-dozen new wooden bridges span the central river--more like a large stream, really--and connect the competition grounds to the camping grounds. Tents in all colors and styles are arrayed in rough groups, marked out with the banners of knights, houses, mercenary companies, kingdoms. The Inquisition has sprung for new tents for its delegation to make sure they look the part, dramatic black as a backdrop to the Inquisition banners that fly atop each of them, housing two to four people each. Nearest are some Orlesians with an array of brightly-colored silk structures, and on the opposite side, a mercenary company called the the Grizzly Legion, a particularly rowdy outfit, with banners market by a giant red bear, and bonfires and revelry late into the night every night.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The general atmosphere of the tourney is raucous and celebratory, but the rivalries inherent in the occasion seem less good-natured than they might have in past years. Nevarra seems divided into two camps rather than one, with a (not-yet-literal) line down the middle of their encampment and their crowds that's bridged only by the brave and slightly awkward few who still haven't chosen between the Pentaghasts and Van Markhams. And the Orlesians, despite rumors that the Empire is still struggling in the wake of its own civil war, seem particularly delighted to see their rivals teetering on the brink—some are even taking odds on how soon they'll be able to get Perendale back. But, of course, no one can rival Tevinter for smugness. If there was a fancy sword awarded for that, they would win it every year, and there's no sitting near their delegation without "overhearing" an unnecessarily loud conversation about the sorry state of the rest of Thedas.

Of course, not everyone is caught up in the affairs of surfacer empires: there are delegations from both Orzammar and Kal-Sharok, each apparently pretending the other does not exist, and the odd Avvar and Chasind who seems to think everyone else is being a bit ridiculous about everything. The most isolated attendees are those from the Anderfels, who stick close together and rarely speak to anyone else—not that anyone else seems much inclined even if they did want to. At the other end of the spectrum are the Free Marchers; this is the one occasion every-few-years when they look to one another as brothers, rather than distinct and often competitive nations.

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

The Grand Tourney's official competitions are scheduled to take place over five days, culminating with the prestigious Grand Melee and awarding of the Celebrant. Before then, the tournament progresses day by day through unarmed combat, archery, armed combat, and jousting competitions, each heavily attended by delighted spectators cheering for their countrymen and any foreigner who strikes them as particularly charming, plus the odd equal-opportunity heckler. A few extra fights break out here and there when tempers flare, between both competitors and observers, and when the alcohol flows more liberally at night the chance of trouble rises. But for the most part, the competitions are fair and the mood around them is celebratory.

Away from the main grounds, a few additional staging areas have been provided for events focused on magic—these are more sparsely attended, due to their unofficial nature and the fears of much of the populace that they might catch a fireball to the face if they wander too close, but enough people's curiosity trumps fear to form a thinner, quieter crowd. The two events open to mages, combat against fade-touched creatures and a version of the melee with teams that allow mages, take place in the early mornings, when they won't be competing with the official events for attention, and are most heavily attended by Tevinter mages who are very, very certain that they can't be beat.

Comments

[gotyourselfapilot]

"What kind of unexpected things did you used to deal with before coming here?" Poe couldn't help but be curious about that. He's constantly thinking up plans even if they may not work. "I think the odds are okay until they become not great."

He's on the short side himself, if anything he's average height of five foot eight. The crowd would be troublesome. Poe watches the man for a moment to judge if he's going exactly towards the stables. Tessa makes a good call as he gives a nod in her direction.

"Easy enough to play on. I'll follow your lead." He'll basically listen closely to what she says and goes with it. Even if he has to play along. It shouldn't really be all that hard. They don't appear to be suspicious and the man didn't catch wind of them. Poe follows after Tessa keeping himself looking calm around the natives that may have been still glancing at their direction. He'll smile at them until they move along. The stables is certainly a thing to see and they shouldn't have too much of a problem to corner the man. Poe scouts the area for any other's that may be heading in this direction. They still have to be careful about getting caught.

[zombra]

"Dude, would you believe zombies? Cuz it was zombies." And she'd love to elaborate on that, but maybe later when they're not on Mission: Ham Salad.

Following after the guy, Tessa considers making false small talk about the horses, but seeing how she knows basically nothing about them, that'd probably only serve to make her look suspicious. Plus it's probably not a good idea for their mark to overhear them and know someone's close by. The man enters the stables first and Tessa casually follows in after him, getting a lay of the interior the same as the man does. She moves towards a stall with a horse inside, reminded of county fairs she'd attend where there'd be 4H Club ribbons or whatever displayed on the wood panels. She gently offers the horse her curled in fingers to sniff, and when the animal seems friendly, she pets the bridge of its nose, watching the man out of the corner of her eye. He seems a bit turned around, unsure where the trough is and slowing his steps to look inside stalls.

"He hardly looks like a professional," she murmurs to Poe as they watch him wander. "Might be easy to scare him off. Still, we should probably catch him in the act." That seems like the best way to ensure he doesn't make a second attempt.

Tessa smiles and nods at a few Inquisition members moving in and out, hoping she's not standing at one of their horses, but when the man moves out of the back doors, she tugs Poe's sleeve to alert him they should move.

Out in the sunshine, there are more horses quietly grazing and a few people sitting up on the fence or leaning against it chatting. The man gives them a wide berth as he heads for the water trough. Tessa sucks in a breath.

"This is it. We get one chance at this. Those guys over there gotta hear us call him out."