[Closed] Looks like I'm taking the hard way home

[wearyallalone]

WHO: Vanya, Marcus, Gwenaëlle, and Gela
WHAT: Rescuing a family of Nevarran refugees
WHEN: Now, more or less
WHERE: Hasmal, and points between there and Kirkwall
NOTES: OOC post

The Journey Out

When Vanya had received the letter now tucked into his overcoat pocket, he had been shocked and then worried. He hadn't thought that Flint would be inclined to let him go, much less allow him to take a couple Forces members and a fellow Nevarran. But either he'd made his case well or (as he suspected) he'd spent enough years never asking for anything other than permission to undergo lyrium withdrawal that he'd built up some amount of goodwill. Or maybe a grateful contact in Rivain was enough to sweeten the pot. He hadn't asked.

While he and Rowntree meant the four of them could have gotten to Hasmal on griffon-back, ultimately horses made more sense. While slower, it would risk less attention. They also wouldn't have to split six adults among two griffons somehow on the way back; a cart or some additional horses would be easier to secure. That did mean, however, a fair amount of time on the road. Before they'd set out, Vanya had filled them in on the basics: A family of four, Nevarrans fleeing the chaos of their home country. Felix Baumer had a friend in Hasmal who'd given the family a place to stay, but they didn't have the resources to get out. The merchant would presumably be very grateful if they helped get him and his family to Rivain.

It's a story that leaves out nothing tactically useful, but presumably one that raises at least a few questions.

Hasmal

Tevinter rules Hasmal, but considering the state of other city-states, this one seems to have gotten off lightly (for a value of that which includes occupation by an enemy force). While Tevinter's presence is obvious, the forces present don't seem especially concerned about local resistance or external assault. Life continues with an uneasy calm. At least in public, the locals seem inclined to keep their heads down and get on as best they can under the circumstances.

Their destination is in a bourgeois quarter of the city, suggesting that Baumer likely knew his local contact through business before he and his family fled. It's not any more heavily patrolled than anywhere else, but they will still need to take some care not to draw too much attention as outsiders.

The Journey Back

The four Baumers (Felix, his wife Tatiana, his son Sergej and his daughter Lenka) are uniformly and quietly grateful at first. As time wears on, their personalities begin to show through a bit more.

Felix is a naturally friendly and perceptive man in his late 40s, grateful for conversation when it's offered but unlikely to press when it seems unwelcome. He's aware of the close call the family has had, but the farther they get without pursuit, the more he naturally turns with an optimistic gaze toward their eventual destination. He has another contact in Rivain, and he has high hopes that he will be able to rebuild his fortunes there with time and effort.

Tatiana is polite but quiet, on the whole. She is younger than her husband, probably mid-30s or so. Most of her attention on the road is devoted to her children, though she has some sidelong looks to spare for Vanya, as if trying to work out some sort of puzzle. She won't avoid conversation, but is the least likely of the four to initiate.

Over time, Sergej's dominant trait of "being a 14-year-old boy" resurfaces in the form of grumbing and picking at his younger sister occasionally. He also sometimes tries to subtly find out how many battles the Riftwatch agents have been in, what sort of fighting they do (if any) and generally what they've seen of the wider world. He clearly wants to know, but doesn't want to seem enthusiastic about it, gross.

Lenka, 12, is a little moody too, but it mainly manifests as oscillating between chat and shyly staying near her parents. One of her personal affects is a small wooden recorder, and if there's any enthusiasm for music on the road, she can be coaxed easily into playing a bit.

They are perfectly charming people, and Vanya is notably more quiet even than his fairly taciturn baseline around all four of them. If he were with them alone, it seems possible he might take them all the way to their ship without saying a word.