WHO: Galadriel, Thranduil, Solas, Myrobalan, Merrill, Kitty, Lakshmi, Teren, Marcoulf, Jang, Obi-Wan, and Anders
WHAT: A trip to a perfectly normal Chantry in the middle of nowhere.
WHEN: Current.
WHERE: The Island of Alamar, Ferelden.
NOTES: Current warnings, to be updated: Graphic Descriptions of Gore

The Abbey on the White Cliff

Travel to the Abbey on the White Cliff is no easy matter. While it stands not far from Amaranthine, the waters between the mainland and the island shores are a wicked confluence of eddies and razor sharp rock. The rain is ever-present here and the wind moves unpredictably at the best of times. Ships of size cannot travel easily to the island of Alamar and small boats are rarely steady through the choppy water. Fortunately, as the Inquisition approaches, the world takes some pity on them and the waters seem to still and calm. The clouds linger but, at the very least, they don't open above them until they have reached the land.

The island is a grey affair, all rocks and scrub and damp. The village, an austere looking outcropping of buildings, is entirely made from the local stone and, were it not for the red clay roofing, would blend into the landscape seamlessly. Very few people have strayed into the rain to greet the Inquisition and, without the voices to echo off the stone, most sound is drowned in the lapping of waves and the heavy fall of rain. As a result of the weather and the lack of citizens, the town has the general quality of a graveyard.

The merchants who work the docks are affable enough and, after unloading their haul and securing it somewhere a bit drier, offer to take the Inquisition up to the Abbey proper. The rain slows before long and the merchants lead the Inquisition to the main roads and, let them on their way. Fortunately, the Island is not terribly large and, even walking, it will take only a few hours to arrive at the far side of it.

As the party leaves the village and the shore, the island landscape opens before them. Sloping moors give way to periodic outcroppings of rock and, against the horizon and the far end of the island, there rests a dark forest of pines. The Abbey on the White Cliff stands at the far side, at the top of the hill and overlooking the waves. The road they travel is an easy one, well worn, and the buildings come into view long before they reach them--they stand several stories tall, made of the same stone as the village. They are moss-covered and have the look of an old building that has been questionably kept--at least, from a distance.

The closer one gets to the buildings, the more obvious the additions and repairs become. Windows that have no business holding glass have had colorful windows inset to them. The doors are heavy, wooden, and new. The ironwork on the walls is polished and unworn by the rain. There are no torches lit but, once the Inquisition members have reached the doors, they open promptly.

They are greeted by a Chantry Sister with a bright smile and rosy cheeks and, without hesitation, the lot of them are welcomed into the Abbey.

OOC:

Hey guys! So I plan on aggressively GMing this one. Basically I want to run this like D&D, or as near as I can manage.

The location threads below are available for single player/two player exploration, I will be tagging you with information based on where you go or what you do, but if you want to do a bigger thread please just use the team threads at the bottom. That way if you all decide you want to check out the [INSERT LOCATION HERE] and it leads you to [DIFFERENT LOCATION] I can move you along without changing threads.

Because of your proficiencies, different characters will have advantages in different areas/while talking to different people, so groups are best. I will also be PMing your character journal periodically with any information that your character may have picked up on that nobody else would.

The NPCs are available for talking to or questioning by any number of people. Their general locations are in their thread headers so you can travel there as a crew or ask me to send them at you, if you so desire.

Feel free to do new top-levels if you guys really want, I am just here to try and make this fun.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Curious, not impatient." Solas shakes his head, crossing his arms behind his back and shaking his head. He wants to appear curious, not untoward, and he breathes out.

"She is the one to ask about the Rift, then?"

"Aye, if she's the energy to speak to you about it."

Merkle nods and gestures at the doors again.

"Brigette knows the way to her apartments."

"I will see if she has the time to speak with me, then." Solas nods his head. "Thank you. Are you here for long?"

"I certainly hope so," he says dryly. "Don't much plan on leaving until I die."

With that, Merkle gives Solas a last, mildly suspicious look and then returns to his work. From that point the other carpenters ignore him and several scramble to start repairing the hole where the tree had just been.

It doesn't take long after that for Solas to abort his investigation into the carpentry and make his way back into the main hall. He thinks he knows the way to the Reverend Mother, but he wants to take the path slowly, to make sure he does not bring more attention to himself than he already has. He thinks that rumour might spread of him sooner or later, so he smiles at the gatekeeper as he walks by, taking a slow pace out of the room.

His path leads him to the Reverend Mother next, but he does not want to be accusatory. He is curious about the Rift, curious about the worship of it, and wary of what it might mean for this place, and there's a weight to him as he goes, making his way to her quietly.

Solas comes upon Alvar in the garden, as she often is, and they are alone. There is a break in the storm as she lingers outside, but it is a small reprieve and the rain still drizzles on the periphery. She walks among the plants, her steps idle and looping and with the distracted quality of someone who knows they are not long for the world.

She notices him as he comes upon her and smiles, though there it something to it that is hard to name. It is a nearly knowing quality and one that doesn't fade as she bids him come over.

"A fine day," she declares when everything around her seems to indicate quite the opposite. She looks him over once and then turns her attention to the tomato plant before her. It is in perfect health and beautiful beyond reason.

There's something strange, immediately, about her, and Solas doesn't know what to say about it. She's not like any of the other people he has met here nor is she like any other Mother or Sister of the chantry he has been privy to. No, there is something of an edge to her, something that makes her feel a touch awkward to be around, and Solas has to try and decide what that means.

At least she seems pleasant enough, and the reception is not one that is making him feel as though he is prying or pushing somewhere he ought not to be, which is more than he could ask for. He is used to not being welcomed, used to being shunned because of what he says and does, and used to being shunned for his race.

It is nice to be welcomed even the smallest amount, and it is sad that this brings him glad tidings.

"Some might say so," he agrees. "I came to speak with you, if you have the time."

"That I am nearly out of, but I will give you some of what remains," Alvar says, her humor just a touch morbid but generally good. She peruses the tomatos growing on the vine carefully and with a discerning eye. Eventually she selects a tomato she likes and plucks it free.

"Ask me what you like--or perhaps you are here to tell me something?"

"Then I thank you for it," Solas says gently, coming to pause at her side. Looking out over the rest of the world is a unique experience, he thinks, and he tilts his head, wondering if he can see the same things she can. Everyone sees the world differently, of course, and he thinks his eyes must be different from hers.

His arms cross behind his back.

"The thing that the carpenters are working on. Why?"

Simple Gifts [Closed]

The Abbey on the White Cliff

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