faderift | Skyhold

Skyhold

WHO: Anyone & everyone
WHAT: Open post for business as usual around Skyhold
WHEN: The first couple weeks of Harvestmere, 9:41 (aka October)
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Please mark any necessary content warnings in thread subject lines. Also, make sure to check out the other log posts already made!

Far from the glamorous adventurous world-saving people signed up for, most of the hustle and bustle in Skyhold at present is cleaning. The Great Hall is a disaster, and crews are assigned to haul out the cracked and rotting planks fallen from the wide-open roof, and tear down the vines covering the walls. Ivy encrusts the main staircase outside and many of the fortress walls and is cleared in section while other groups assess or begin shoring up the stonework as it's revealed. There are scaffolding to build, materials to sort, crates to unload, tents to stitch together or set-up, and on and on and on, endless mundane chores vital to the survival of the organization.

When not hard at work, people cluster around fires across the courtyards. Many mingle freely, going about their business, running errands and messages, planning scouting missions, tallying up supplies, distributing or playing with the sending crystals that were found in a basement vault and which a group of mages have just today finished preparing for use. Once a good number have been passed around and the first Inquisition-wide transmission made messages start being broadcast; maybe you can help someone out.

The rebel mages and renegade templars mainly keep to themselves at opposite sides of the complex given the choice. Mages assist with healing and research and bicker amongst themselves about their options and their fate. Templars help train recruits in swordforms and basic combat techniques or spar with the more advanced and bicker amongst themselves about their options and their fate. Despite having all pledged themselves to the Inquisition, they still feel like separate factions and tension between them is palpable wherever they cross paths.

Like at meals, or the communal message board in the courtyard, or at the Herald's Rest. The mess hall/tavern is so new it still smells of sawdust, and its stock has been limited to one type of strong ale until today, when a shipment of West Hill brandy has finally arrived. The mood in the place is convivial in celebration of that, but there's still plenty of muttering, especially as the night drags on and the discontented get further into their cups.

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"Depends on what we prioritize. For now, the focus should be on keeping our people alive. Keep 'em fed, put roofs over ailing heads. We've got contacts in Val Royeaux for some of it, some in the Hinterlands, and we're gaining more all the time. Doesn't exactly help us right this instant, but it's a start."

Krem sighed and ran a hand around the back of his neck, slouching forward some. "Winter's gonna be hard for everyone. Probably lose a lot more people before the spring thaw. A lot of them are still in shock..."

"They saw their hero slain- and the story was not yet over. It is an unthinkable thing. Thedas has been most fortunate with it's heroes in the past decade." The Herald dying- that was more or less due. Too many miraculous survivals against all odds tipped the scales against her. It's a pity, but the reality was what was. "Perhaps we could prompt- not patronage, but charitable donations from the surrounding nobility? As it is in their best interest for the Inquisition and it's people not to die out."

Coaxing nobles into giving where they normally would not isn't exactly Zevran's forte, but he could probably wrangle something if it would help.

"She was a good woman in a bad line of work. Heroism...not exactly the job with the highest life expectancy."

It was a shame, really. He'd liked her insomuch as she was polite and respectful, never gave him a reason to dislike her. He was distracted from that line of thought by Zevran's ideas, nodding some at the idea of petitioning the nobility for assistance. "It'd be a start, at least. Funds, manpower, material, we're going to need a lot of it. At least we've got the potential for those numbers, when people recover a little more."

"She stood against what everyone else could not." If anyone deserved to be remembered well? It was her. As for the rest, that he might be able to help with if the old favors still held.

"I may be able to lay some groundwork for that if things are as I recall from roughly four months ago." The nobility can be fickle, and there was something of a Civil war on. "Some favors that I am owed. The rest would fall to diplomacy."

Not his thing, but he could try.

"I'd suggest speaking with ambassador Montilyet. It's her job to set up those alliances and leverage coin as tactfully as possible."

He had no doubt that Josephine would be able to take the ideas Zevran could present and run with them.

"Don't believe I ever got your name," he said thoughtfully, tilting his head subtly as he glanced Zevran over. He felt he should know him from somewhere at least, but wasn't sure where from.

"Montilyet? Why does that sound familiar?" From before the Blight, even. It would niggle at him until the memory clicked, but that could be a concern for later. He knew who to speak to when the time came.

"My name? Ah, how terribly rude of me." He shifted to offer Krem his hand, grin rakish. "Zevran Arainai of Antival. I hope to be of service to the Inquisition in the doubtless troubling days to come."

"Antivan family," Krem replied with a shrug. He took the hand offered to him, his grip firm and steady. "Would've guessed Antivan. Accent gives it away. Cremisius Aclassi."

"More than that- something about a contract...it will come to me later." Hopefully before he met her in person. "Cremisuis- that makes you from the Imperium."

No other country had names that were quite a mouthful. "You do not, I suppose, have a nickname you go by? A title?"

Krem nodded. "Astute of you. Used to be one of the soporati, before leaving Tevinter. The Chief and pretty much everyone else calls me by Krem. Easier to remember. Far as titles go I'm the lieutenant to the Iron Bull."

"Wait- you mean that massive, Qunari Mercenary- you are one of his Chargers?" Reputably disreputable indeed. He'd chosen wisely it seems.

"'s right. I lead the front-line men, take assignments when he can't but wants us to look into it, generally keep him alive while he does the same for me." Krem actually looked rather proud of that fact. He was obviously content with his lot in life. "Not as famous as the Crows, but obviously word gets around."

"The Crows are overrated." If he could continue to kill of their Masters and Grandmasters at a relatively steady pace? They were losing their touch. "There is something to be said for the honest violence of a mercenary band. I have heard many good things of you and your work. Permit me to buy your next round?"

"Happily." Krem raised his bottle, by now empty, then put it aside atop a nearby barrel that held a few other ale bottles already. He could hold his liquor pretty well, and would certainly drink with Zevran until the man bored of him and wandered off.

Another round for the table, ale for himself and a bottle of- well- whatever it was for the ever so fine Krem. He offered Krem his drink with a grin before settling back down. "To battles won, yes?"

"And future victories," he replied, raising his bottle in kind before taking a couple of long swallows. He put it back down on the table, thumping it against the wood as he kept his hand wrapped around the bottom. "If you haven't found your quarters yet, I'll just let you know now you'll probably be holing up with someone else for the sake of space until more of this place is repaired."

Now that is a lovely jaw and neck. Perhaps- no. Business first. He was mellowing as he got older, Maker help him. "I've managed to find somewhere that isn't overly crowded just yet. Though it does make me wonder. With so many and more yet to come, even with those we might lose in Winter- how are we keeping everyone- erm. Clean? Bathed. Repairing a hold is not easy work and I cannot imagine there are many tubs to go 'round."

"No more than eight tubs have been recovered that don't need to be hammered back into shape or just outright scrapped. They've been abandoned up here for a long time. Heard talk of a spring under the hold, but it probably needs work done to it too before any of us have ready access to it." The way he spoke, Krem sounded mostly indifferent to the idea of it. A product of not having grown up with or had access to such things often, if at all. He got by just fine on spongebaths, water heated over fires and cheap soap made of animal fat.

"Part of any army is inviting donations from the area's nobility- they will probably want something more." That was a bit down the road but something they did need to consider. Rooms for nobility, diplomats, it's a larger work than keeping a representative for the war effort in their camp but something he had slightly more experience with in theory. "It would also likely do something for morale...perhaps a proper bath house by the springs?"

"Can't deny a hot bath would do a lot of our people good. Might keep sickness from spreading as fast." It was entirely possible that with so many people here, some contagious thing would run rampant through the fortress, regardless of the mages' and medics' efforts. "Proper facilities for it'll likely draw in the ones concerned about all that. Probably be more willing to negotiate at that point."

"Mmm. There is a contractor that owes me a favor." As much as killing the noble that had sent an assassin after him, and killing said assassin can be called a favor. But. It would not hurt to write. "Who would I urge to consider such a project? I know Cullen handles the army and you the Chargers, but little else."

"Lady Nightingale's the spymaster, probably wouldn't bother with her. Connections tend to be handled through Lady Montilyet. She's the one trying to make this place as socially acceptable as possible, at least."

"I shall have to speak with her and hope for the best, though speaking with Lady Nightengale may be something else I need to do before the day is over." Catching up with old friends, ah.

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Skyhold

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