WE'RE THE BADDIES | Log

[extortionate]

WHO: Riftwatch + Venatori Guest Stars
WHAT: Riftwatch goes to Ferelden, and stumbles on a Venatori plot. We're also the Venatori.
WHEN: Some time!
WHERE: The island of Alamar
NOTES: Feel free to join this even if you didn't sign up, just throw a bio for your character on the OOC post.

POSTS:

— CRYSTAL POST
— ALAMAR TOWN
— FORT
— SEA CAVES
— HARP
— AFTERMATH


CAST:

— Alais Amphion, Site Coordinator (K2)
— Gregorius Leto, Blight Researcher (Hope)
— Julian Agnelli, Old God Historian (Green Rivers)
— Callinicus Lusko, Gate Researcher (Cass)

— Aurelius Hathaca, Spy (Libby)
— Spuria Tapsenna, Scout (mj)
— Prisca Salvito, Scout (Lor)

— Inpia Agger, Mercenary (Cami)
— Sergius Dalca, Combat Mage (Ammmy)

Comments

ALAMAR TOWN

[extortionate]

Summer is slow to reach Ferelden.

Storms shake the jumble of stilt houses and boats lining Alamar's rocky shores. It's all smoke and seedy inns, a cluster of farmholds that trickle constant wary faces, and covered wagons. This isn't a grim place, but it's not an easy one.

Riftwatch folds in among a dozen other docking boats, the stream of travelers and traders and raiders doing a little for their motley origin. It isn't unusual to spy an elf here, or even the rare Vashoth - but with the attacks on Denerim, suspicion turns to Northerners. The Venatori detachment has been here long enough to blend. They need continue to: A Vint crewman was run out last week less an eye.

Riftwatch is here to meet the local Bann, whose well-documented funding of pirates has set their Marcher allies on edge. He can't be alienated completely, the Inquisition's continued presence in Caer Bronach could use a sponsor.

There are rough streets here, convenient shadows. It's possible to pick off individuals - or lead others into a trap. And of course, someone needs to retrieve Aurelius Hathaca.

AURELIUS & SERGIUS | Raising the alarm

[extortionate]

On his way to see a man about an ointment (been a long, damp trip) when he spies them. Which is to say, when he runs into them at full fucking force; blind around a corner and straight into Muscles.

"Shit, mate —" He staggers back, not so far as you'd hope. "— There’s dryer places to shack up."

It trails off, distracted from whatever shakedown pitch he’s preparing. Lazar squints between the pair. Some distant torch lights behind his eyes:

"Marco," Close enough. "Fuck’re you doing down here?"

[elegiaque]

The phrase this fucking guy nearly comes out of Aurelius's mouth, and it's actually sort of heroic in a way that he doesn't say it. He hasn't lived in the same city as Riftwatch for all these years by panicking at the mere sight of one of the bastards, however, so not only does he not say that, he straightens, regarding Lazar with much the same expression he always does on the rare occasions that they cross paths in the procurement of his services.

It has occurred to him that it's unlikely Riftwatch is somehow less aware than he is of this man's particular proclivities and general cowardice; it's deeply unlikely that his work for 'Markus Osterhaus' would have the far-reaching effects that tying that saltscum pirate would have done. It is, at this point, mostly a private joke to throw him the occasional bone.

He has truly got to get better material. If this gets him killed, he thinks, he fucking deserves it.

“Why am I anywhere?” he drawls, pivoting on the spot to the Marcher accent that he's lived in, an effortless switch at this point even if he'd been speaking with his natural voice to Sergius a moment beforehand. (Here's to hoping the big lug didn't overhear.) “War is a profitable time, Lazar. You'll have to excuse us,”

he'd really like to be excused,

“but I'll keep you in mind, now I know you're here.”

[overharrowed]

There are two possible reasons Sergius could be here, based on his looks: muscle or recreation. He's not much of an actor, but he's at least self-aware enough to know that (or has been told it often enough for it to stick). He's definitely terrible at accents, so he keeps his mouth shut.

Instead, he gives the random Riftwatch contact a curt nod. Yes, he too has important things to do. Probably standing behind 'Markus' and looking intimidating, if he's begun as he means to go on.

[extortionate]

He’s bought the lie. Unfortunately.

Squinting at Sergius, you can almost see the gears turn behind his eyes. Muscle or recreation, well, work and play don't gotta diverge. Knows for a fact that Oysters don't bother — only bigger gossips than the idle rich are their thieving servants. There’s been plenty on at that estate, to hear the occasional associate tell. If Sergius was stuffing his cock away two seconds prior, he was still paid to be here, and that means there’s a job on.

His arms thrusts out to block the alley mouth.

"‘Course. I'll make sure you get there safe," To that excuse. He isn’t stupid: Little guys can still be plenty dangerous. But Osterhaus hires it out, and Lazar’s not above kicking beau’s ass for an interview. "Northern profits?"

He sure fucking overheard.

picking off (attempts)

[exequy]

It's not so different from tracking down for dinner, except this time her stupid brother isn't waiting at the camp with his glass vials and spinning metal contraptions to say rabbit, again? or that one looks sick or took you long enough—

No one will even know she was doing this until she's reporting back with a kill count. Maybe a fistful of Riftwatch pins, if she can get them, to spill dramatically onto a table as she declares the problem not solved, no, but at least cut in half, and everyone is welcome.

Recklessness of the premise aside, she's careful. She finds the places on the rooftops where taller buildings cast her into even deeper shadow than the night affords on its own, and she's watching for weak ones left unprotected. No one she could mark as a mage, no one who looks capable of pulling her head off her shoulders with their bare hands—unless she's confident she can hit them from a distance and disappear. Her aim could be better, but a handful of her arrows are poison-tipped and might do the job even if she's catching shoulders or livers instead of hearts and arteries.

She would very much like to hit an artery, though. She's trying.

OOC | Open to one thread of actually confronting and fighting/killing her, either after a pursuit or by sneaking up on her. Otherwise open to any number of threads where people are hit or almost hit by arrows and deal with that with other Riftwatch NPCs, even though, like, realistically it could probably only happen once. Who cares.