Never An Uneventiful Day

[equanimiti]

WHO: Alayre Sauveterre & whomever joins
WHAT: Sometimes doing a little bit of busywork does wonders for the mind. Alayre hopes that will be the case for him.
WHEN: Mid-Haring
WHERE: Various locations at Skyhold (Courtyard, Stables and Library)
NOTES: Both current and new CR greatly welcomed, also negative and positive CR is more than welcomed. Happy Holidays, btw

Stables

It's not uncommon to see the former Knight-Commander wandering about throughout the Hold, but it is a bit of a rarity to see him attending to his horse at the stables. As of late, Alayre been far too busy for his own liking. Of course his horse hasn't been neglected by the stable-hands here but Alayre missed spending time with Durandal. That's while he takes it upon himself to spend time with the white mare today and brush her coat. Now that winter has arrived, Durandal is a tad shaggier than normal. A common trait of a horse hailing from the north but that makes brushing Durandal more of a task than Alayre bargained for.


Courtyard

After spending one too many hours at the stables, Alayre makes his way towards the courtyard for the sake of relaxation. There's something truly rewarding about being surrounded by such tranquility, even if there's a few telltale reminders of the chaos that brews. An afternoon stroll through the gardens is a always next on his agenda followed by a brief visit to the library later.

Library

The library doesn't win over Alayre's interest for long due to the absence of a certain cheeky mage. It's somewhat awkward for him to be rummaging through the aisles in search or a good book; especially with the librarian glaring death his way. While it shouldn't be much of a surprise that rumors have begun about him and Salvatore, Alayre is silently mortified.

Comments

[equanimiti]

Upon request, Alayre thumbs through the pages until he reaches the detailed map featuring the Frostback Mountains. The map itself is quite old and wrinked but it's good enough to give Lenneth a decent representation of the region.

"Amongst the frigid peaks of the ever tall Frostback Mountains, lies the last symbol of hope in the form of the Herald's Will; Skyhold." He introduces with a hint of pride in his tone. "Originally built by Elven hands, Skyhold is a fortress of considerable strength that still has some magic left within its very stones. This is the Inquisition's home and where we currently find ourselves within. Skyhold is seated right in-between the borders of Ferelden and Orlais."

[lennethvalkyrie]

"Between... So neither Ferelden nor Orlay--" still wrong "--may claim sovereignty over this fortress, then. Good for the Inquisition." Lenneth nodded slowly. "Do we have alliances with either kingdom?

"And... you say it is elven made? It is a strong fortress--the elves have ever been good craftsmen. At least..." she sighed, "the elves I knew were. I know little of their kind here. Have they a kingdom as well?"

[equanimiti]

"Orlais." Alayre corrects suddenly so Lenneth could get out of that habit here and now.

"Had Skyhold stood in either Ferelden or Orlais, the Fortress wouldn't hold the neutrality it has currently. It would belong to either country and considering the rapid growth of the Orlesian Empire, Skyhold would've been tethered to Orlais." Ferelden is merely considered the backwoods of Thedas. They don't hold much power in the political spectrum like Orlais and certainly wouldn't be able to stand up against Orlesian conquest these days.

"As the Inquisition, the Hold does have alliances forged with both kingdoms. The Grey Wardens are the sworn protectors of all of Thedas and stay clear of the political arena. We are sworn to help all those against the Darkspawn menace and the Archdemon that leads them. With that said, we are protectors the realm as a whole."

Alayre frowns just a little when Lenneth shows great interest in the Elves. He was hoping to mention them a bit later since their history bitterly highlights Thedas's ugly past.
"The Elves once had a kingdom long ago but it was destroyed. Humanity hasn't been very kind to the elves and we're still not kind towards them."

He sighs somewhat. "Remember, I speak from a place ignorance in regards to the Elves and their culture. Therefore, I'm ill suited to discuss the much about them, especially since my people has made slaves and servants of them."

[lennethvalkyrie]

"Or...lais," Lenneth repeated. It sounded better this time. She followed the Knight-Commander's explanations with interest, interrupting with questions when she was unsure: "Grey Wardens... are they a faction of the Templar?" "Are Darkspawn demons, like those that issue from the Rifts?".

She frowned slightly when told of the elves, but nodded. "They live on the same plane as humans here in Thedas. I imagine were the same true of Midgard, similar violence might arise. Mortals are given to conflict. Does Andraste speak of them? What does the Maker's bride say of the elves?"