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open.
WHO: Everyone
WHAT: Late night evacuation drill
WHEN: Early Harvestmere, don't think about it too hard
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: See OOC note below.
WHAT: Late night evacuation drill
WHEN: Early Harvestmere, don't think about it too hard
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: See OOC note below.
Lashes of rain batter at unyielding fortress walls. It is dark, quiet, and peaceful save for all the rolling thunder summoned from over the sea. It is a good evening to be warm in bed.
Until it isn't a couple of those things.
Wherever you are sleeping (or working) late at night in the Gallows, you will hear it: an incessant and noisy bell ringing, handheld, clanging and clanging loud and obnoxious from the top of each tower and downwards, lingering in the key residential halls until there is sign of people emerging from their rooms. Gwenaëlle has been assigned to harass the Central Tower, while Abby takes the Mage Tower and Matthias is assigned the Templar Tower. Even if you happen not to be in either of these places, the muffled cacophony of bells is liable to still reach you.
It may take a second to realise what's happening, and how real this emergency is, but in the past week, all will have received some suspiciously timed updates as to evacuation procedures, including the protocols surrounding what to do when the instruction is to shelter in place (because they do, after all, live in a fortress).
The first step is moving without hesitation when the warning bells ring out loud. The next is to descend the towers, down dim stairwells lit by lyrium glow, in as orderly a fashion as possible. From there, it's a matter off finding the correct subterranean chamber (tonight, indicated with lamplight) and waiting it out.
At least, this route does not take them outside.
In the basement chamber will be Edgard and Marcus, the former equipped with a medieval clipboard and the latter marking the time in his head as people enter, while semi-supervising the other man's work and guarding the exit. The space is large enough to comfortably fit the whole company, although it is also cold, dripping, and musty. There are places to sit, chairs and tables both, and a few blankets if you find yourself underdressed.
And if you attempt to leave too early, you'll be bid to wait it out a little longer to accommodate and cause no disruption or confusion to late comers.
To encourage this, there are a few bottles of wine set aside along with some lukewarm tea. Stay a while.
[ ooc ; feel free to top level at any part of this interaction! I will handwave the cooperation of anyone who doesn't tag in or assume they are out of the Gallows, so don't feel like you have to, but there is also a comment below for anyone who deliberately wants to be on the naughty list of no-shows. ]
no subject
Isn't that your province, Ambassador?
[ Equally blithe, even as the parchment is pinned against the handhold of his crutch as John recommits to the inevitability of descent.
He's taking this as seriously as it deserves. If anyone had excuse to simply remain where he'd been seated— ]
no subject
[ bringing up the rear, mid-yawn ]
please don't perceive Byerly's lack of babes and incandescent jealousy about it, it's not polite.
no subject
( which is why gwenaëlle is still ringing the bell and will indeed continue ringing the bell, but also — is already preceding them down the stairs, where the rest of this tower has yet to be sufficiently terrorised by it. the bad news: they're probably just going to be accompanied by barking and ringing until they get clear of the tower itself and reach the assembly point.
the good news: who isn't going to a little bit enjoy the night owls in the offices being harangued out of them by a terrible girl and her dog. )
no subject
Dearest Provost, I believe you shall find that I have the most babe-a-licious babe in all of Riftwatch sharing my bed. Apologies for the hard truth, madame. [ With an apologetic tip of the head to Joselyn.
Yeah, they're definitely taking this immensely seriously. ]
It does raise the issue that perhaps we oughtn't be at the top of the tower, eh? As the most valuable members of Riftwatch by far - [ lol lol lol ] We should be the first ones to safety in case of emergency.
no subject
[One assumes Berenike's possessed corpse and the captured Tevinter agents in the dungeons might find the midnight violin sawing a welcome change of pace.
With Gwenaëlle's clanging bell leading the descent down the lyrium lit stairwell, Flint is clearly in no hurry after her. By the time they reach the first mid landing, he has drawn over to allow the rest of the parade to pass so he and Silver might proceed at a more crutch-friendly pace. And to pick up some thread of the conversation they'd paused: 'I have my doubts whether any them is capable of stepping into the required role. What seems more likely is sending one or two of them along to identify someone nearer to the matter who is—']
no subject
As it stands, he is more than content to let the procession pass them as he shakes out a few creases from the page, countering: We'd still need to lay eyes on whoever they came up with. They have decent instincts, but gambling on their judgement is asking for trouble.
His concession to the passing foot traffic is to draw back and set a shoulder against the wall, attention more or less realigned to their shared conversation. A spare fraction left to consider the company passing them by, if only to judge when he and Flint might continue on behind them. ]