[Closed] Madman Drummers Bummers

[overharrowed]

WHO: Julius, Cassius, Isaac and Loki
WHAT: Talking Darkspawn, how do they work? A series of attempts to gather information.
WHEN: Points during Drakonis
WHERE: Ansburg and Lake Celestine (variously)
NOTES: OOC information over here. Note: The OOC report deadline has been adjusted to reflect an administrative delay on getting the post up. The new due date is April 15 18.

Riftwatch generally, and Project Sashamiri specifically, have too much to do and not enough personnel or resources to do it. This is well known. It is also the reason that it has taken nearly three years to follow up on the Satinalia attack on Neverra City. It is, Julius can admit at least to himself, far from ideal – but, with any luck, better late than never.

An initial campaign of letters and other reactivation of old contacts does, in fact, generate some leads. After reviewing them all, Julius decides to focus the small pool of labor on two of them.

First, Isaac and Loki are (carefully) heading toward a farm a bit outside of Ansburg. A Riftwatch contact passed on the information that the farmer in question, one Lester Rollins, has been insisting to anyone that will listen that he has heard voices from his barn and seen a shambling form coming and going, mostly at dawn or twilight. While it is unclear what a talking Darkspawn would be doing near Ansburg, Rollins seems deeply and sincerely shaken according to the information they have received. The Ansburg merchant who passed along the information suggested the town would be grateful to have the matter resolved either way.

Meanwhile, Julius and Cassius are (also carefully) heading for Lake Celestine to meet Susanna Tallis, a Grey Warden based at Griffon Wing Keep who is willing to exchange information with Riftwatch. She is somewhat cagey about saying too much by correspondence, but suggests that she does have some information they will find worth the trip. She mainly asks in exchange that they keep Griffon Wing Keep apprised as they dig into Darkspawn-related matters further.

A few other potential leads may make their way into the final report, but for now, these two seem like the best bets. And if Julius says a silent prayer to the Maker that neither team’s professionalism devolves during the mission, he’d never admit it out loud.

Comments

[overharrowed]

Tallis waves them to sit, resuming her own seat as she does. "There's worse places to wait, and travel is always dodgy, even when the war's moved out of your backyard. I'm just glad you came. Do you want drinks?"

"I'll have an ale, if we're ordering a round," Julius says, as relaxed as if he were in his own office but clearly paying attention to Tallis. (And just as clearly ignoring the whispers which hadn't quite subsided in the background.) "We had as good luck traveling as can be expected, but we're mainly just glad of someone with some concrete information on the topic for us."

Not quite jumping straight into business, but laying out the priority front and center all the same.

[satinet]

From the casual gesture Cassius makes with his offhand, an ale suits him as well. Never trust anything else out of these backwater establishments. They probably make all their wine in a bucket.

"Yes, imagine our surprise when we heard Wardens had news about darkspawn."

It's punctuated with a flashing smile and a sidelong look (for Tallis, not for Julius) as Cassius leans his staff against the edge of the table and sweeps into one of the chairs.