War Table Mission: Master Debaters

[bouchonne]

WHO: Bastien, Fitcher, Jehan, Sawbones, Silver
WHAT: Attending a religious summit in Tantervale
WHEN: Waves hand
WHERE: Tantervale
NOTES: OOC information here.

On the whole, the summit goes quite well. The Riftwatch delegation is given space at a roundtable to present their opinions on several key questions facing the Chantry, including the role of men and non-humans and the right of the Chantry to use military force to support their aims. They argue very well. The largely anti-war sentiment of the Riftwatch delegation, stating that the Chantry shouldn’t be converting nonbelievers, seemed initially like a relatively daring stance to take — and yet the group’s eloquence and poise actually changes some minds, with a few of the more hawkish attendees grudgingly admitting that they have a point. Even more shockingly, their moderate views on non-human Chantry participation are extremely well-argued and quite well-received.

Much less successful is their argument for tolerating the Imperial Chantry: their opening statement is interrupted by a particularly bellicose audience member who is, unfortunately, in turn interrupted by other audience members who shout back; the whole discussion devolves into a shouting match involving very personal insults, in which the first shouting man insults Sawbones for being a dwarf, Fitcher for being unmarried, Jehan for being associated with the liberal University of Orlais, and Silver and Bastien for having facial hair unbecoming of this elite meeting of intellectuals. Everyone leaves the auditorium fuming.

This is the only major failure of the whole event, however. Otherwise, the talks are a resounding success. In the end, the Lady Chancellor approaches the Riftwatch group and speaks with them briefly; her manner is cool, but attentive, and she generally gives an impression that she respects them a bit more.

Comments

[unshut]

[Beside him, Fitcher clucks her tongue as if disappointed. Light conversation over lunch? Honestly now, Ser Pirate.]

I suppose we might. Between the three of us, we might almost be convincing. I can be very austure.

[She does not wink, but there is something of the suggestion of it there in her brows.]

[hornswoggle]

I'd hope so, because the pair of you have to offset me.

[ All the charm in the world doesn't entirely off-set John's everything.

But in the wake of that, his head tips, studying her. ]

Though if you have a better idea than trapping him over a meal...

[ A minor sweep of the hand. The floor is yours, Madame. ]

[unshut]

[In reply, a demurring tip of the head.]

Not at all. I was just hoping that some of your profession's tell tsle drama might afford us a little excitmenet - hog tying the pair of them and stuffing them a broom closet for the duration of the conference. Dosing their food to give them the runs.

[She sighs - a very small one - and takes a sip of her cooling coffee.]

Something to break up the monotony.

[hornswoggle]

I can't say I'm not tempted.

[ It is exceedingly boring. ]

But then I'd have to be scolded by our dear Ambassador, and that's almost as tedious as this morning's discussion.

[ Ha, Byerly scolding. ]

[unshut]

[Clearly he isn't the only one who considers that prospect amusing, for Fitcher chuckles into her delicate cup.]

Casual conversation over lunch, then. Shall you and Brother Jehan take the gentleman while I distract his stork companion?

shall we stick a bow on this

[hornswoggle]

[ The descriptor of "stork" gets a smirk in return, but as to the approach— ]

I'll appraise our saintly Brother once we're free to rise.

[ Welcome to the tag team, Jehan. ]

pins one on

[unshut]

[Her mouth pulls crooked in return, a good natured smile half hidden behind the edge of her coffee cup. By the time she has taken her next sip and the cup is lowered back to the expansive table, the shuffling of feet and scraping of chairs about them quieting at last as the break ends and the meeting reconvenes, it has been reduced to little more than a lingering sentiment.

Small schemes will simply have to suit, given that large ones do not.]