open (with caveats): a dragon did it

[exequy]

WHO: Open to any character who could plausibly be assigned escort duty for Chantry personnel and also plausibly be suspected of murdering and/or covering up the murder of a conservative Grand Cleric.
WHAT: Seriously, it was a dragon.
WHEN: Mid-Cloudreach.
WHERE: Northern Ferelden.
NOTES: CW: death.

Comments

[sangsues]

"You prat," he exhales at the mage, as he takes his fucking draught. The curse might sound odd coming from an Orlesian, and the intonation doesn't sound very Orlesian, but whatever. He shakes his head very slightly. Denying a dying man an easy end - typical mage behaviour, probably. Honestly.

The rifter elf, though, had already surprised him more pleasantly. That offer keeps Etienne's quiet disbelief from escalating, so his utterance sounded more tired than indignant, and then he looks up at the... far too tall elf. His ability to focus doesn't feel right, and it'd be just the thing to document, if he were at all in a position to benefit from it. Alas, science faced a loss today.

"I'll certainly give it my all."

And then, to the other mage— she'd said something, hadn't she? His mind is becoming a little less quick and able. "No family." A faint flicker of a smile, "but I'd be grateful to hear the Chant."

[reshapes]

--Hey now! That's something.

Certain individuals present have recently made quick (some might say desperate, but that's just patently untrue) study of this very topic. And so, with one last lob of a small rock off the edge of the cliff, Bartimaeus clears his throat and makes big show of rolling up his sleeves before launching into a slightly off-tempo-- "No, hold on. I've got it," --mostly on-tempo rendition of some nice bit out of the Canticle of Benedictions. He'd gone over that particular section with a fine tooth comb while in Tantervale. People like benedictions. They make everyone feel warm and fuzzy on the inside and no one asks hard follow up questions in response.

Does he get a little muddy around the middle? Who can say. No one can prove that verse isn't 'Blessed are the faithful, for their faithful faith.'

Anyway that's not the point The point is, look at him being helpful so the rest of you can go on interrogating the victim.

[galvanising]

Nell cuts a look at Kostos as he snatches up the sleeping draught before she can administer, and then another of surprise at Bartimeus as he, of all people, begins to Chant. And then, just as she's about let that look wear off, another for Bartimeus again and his faithful faith. There's some relief in not having to be the one to do this, but somewhere buried deep is still a kneejerk offense at the bumbling.

She pushes to her feet, out of Iorveth's way if he's offering weed, or someone's going to offer a crystal, or something. It all seems to be handled, leaving her free to sidle up to Kostos, voice lowered, "No one is ever going to believe we didn't do this. You, maybe. This rifter," she jerks her chin at Bartimeus, "Maybe. Me? That one?" Iorveth, by process of elimination, "Not a chance. This is bad."

[aenseidhe]

After getting the pipe going, Iorveth holds it for the dying man long enough for him to get a few puffs from it, casting a narrowed, incredulous eye up at Bartimeus for faithful faith. Look, he doesn't know the Chant all that well, but he's pretty sure that isn't in it.

Nell trails away towards Kostos, and Iorveth's eye didn't miss the sleeping draught taken away, and he watches the both of them intently, past Etienne. Not that he hears her from a distance, but the concerns Nell has are his exactly. It's no secret who and what Iorveth is, and where he came from, and what his opinions on Thedas and the Chantry are, and he doubts it'll matter that he hasn't actually attacked anyone he wasn't told to attack as of yet. Well, aside from bar fights. And an unfortunate message board.

If they're going to have Etienne send a message to clear their names, it needs to be done soon. From the side facing away from Etienne, Iorveth pulls his crystal from a pocket, giving it a shake for Kostos to see. The unspoken question being - we doing this, dude? You're the one he seems to get on with most, so this sounds like a you job.