Skyhold

[faderifting]

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.

Comments

[ombranera]

The last bit of the uncomfortable tension is long since massaged loose, but having this attention on him is- well. A little new and quite enjoyable. "Mmhmm..."

He may or may not be in a daze from the endorphins. And warmth. Qunari all seem to be terribly warm. "Marvelous."

[savethecat]

Gorse was perfectly fine playing body pillow for the injured - he'd done it enough times for little siblings. He liked being trusted enough for people to be relaxed around, especially out in the big wide world where his kind apparently inspired fear on first look. It ran counter to his gentle and friendly nature.

Basically he wasn't going to move Zevran unless the elf managed to fall asleep on him. Then, like, he'd probably try to find a bed for him so he wouldn't get a sore neck or something.

[ombranera]

He was here for a reason, wasn't he? The...poisons. the patch for them. Right. With great reluctance he reached up and patted Gorse's hand. "If you continue I fear I may fall asleep on you and that? Would be terribly rude."

[savethecat]

"I been someone's pillow enough times, I don't mind." Gorse said with great sincerity - his default tone really. Even so, he let go of Zevran, moving back to work on pulling the weeds from the ground. "I can finish up here if you wanna go get some sleep. You should really take it easy if you're injured, there will be weeds enough left when you feel better."

[ombranera]

"No, no. I need to see this finished so I remember where I have planted my seeds. And remember to mark this off accordingly." What goes here is not for poultices or stew pots, no Ser.

[savethecat]

"Whatcha planting?" Gorse asked, because, well. Plants were his jam, so of course he was interested. Also it was just polite and pleasant to make conversation with new friends.

Which they were now. Friends.

[ombranera]

"Well. Deathroot, for one, Nightshade, hemlock and a few other such..unpleasant things. I need to be certain no one else tries to plant anything around them, or that anyone else tries to tend to them lest they hurt themselves." Getting killed on a poison that's not even made yet? Terrible.

[savethecat]

"Oh," Huh. Those seemed dangerous, and Gorse almost warned Zev of that except it seemed like Zevran already knew? Well, he probably knew the proper precautions to take then.

The idea that they were dangerous was the point hadn't actually crossed Gorse's mind. He'd probably need to be told. He knew poisons were a thing it just wasn't a conclusion he ever jumped to, being the docile sort by nature.

"You could put little wooden grower posts around them and circle them with twine to keep 'em set apart?"

[ombranera]

"Ah- I should have thought of that. Usually by the time I work with them they are already grown. I am not all that certain I will be able to coax these to life but better someone that knows the risks than a gardener that thinks them lovely. I shall have to fetch some as soon as the area is cleared and we've daylight again." Simple Gardening techniques aren't all that useful to Crows. He's played at being a gardener before, certainly, but learned nothing.

[savethecat]

"I'm sure you can manage, they ain't hard to grow if you know what you're doin'. I can also keep an eye on them. Mama said I could make anythin' grow." He didn't want to be pushy of course, he just genuinely liked to help people and Zevran happened to need help with things he enjoyed. Zevran was also fun to talk to.

[ombranera]

"Have you worked with such dangerous plants before? I wouldn't want you to become ill." Maker why must this qunari be so-

endearing? Adorable. These are not words for Qunari. Fearsome, massive, massively fearsome, fearsomely gorgeous. Adorable. Charming. Endearing. What has the world come to?

"If you wish to help, Gorse, I will be happy to accept. But- do be careful? I know Qunari are more sturdy than the rest of us but enough deathroot can kill a dragon, or so the saying goes."

[savethecat]

"Aw, that's awful sweet of you to worry, but I promise I know what I'm doin'." There was no sarcasm or condescension in his voice, he genuinely thought it was sweet of Zevran to be concerned about him. He was already clearing out space around where Zev was working so that there'd be no mistaking the plans for others, a nice little cleared buffer zone. Gorse was really happiest when he was playing in the dirt. "There were these big plants that'd grow tall as a person back home, beautiful little white flowers on 'em - one touch and sunlight and bam, you got a burn worse than acid. Had a scar from one of those for years."

[ombranera]

He's never been called sweet before- there's. Is he supposed to say something back? Are there words he should be speaking? Zevran Arainai, sweet. Isabella would laugh if she heard it. He still could not quite believe that had come from Gorse but- perhaps it is something in him that makes him see Zevran as such? "And- ah. Where is home exactly? That sounds marvelous and terrible."

[savethecat]

"It ain't everywhere, we mostly keep it under control but sometimes - well, it's a weed, so it does what it wants." Gorse explained. Additionally, the saying about the burned hand learning best was true, Gorse never made a mistake with hurtful plants again.

"Home is in Ferelden, way way south. Pretty much neck deep in Chasind territory, but they're real nice once you get to know 'em." Also most importantly, the actual people in control of Ferelden have no desire to go anywhere near it for those reasons. Secluded, out of the way, impossible to find without a guide and surrounded by neighbors who has a rule hated all strangers.

In short, it was perfect for a group of people trying to escape their homeland and wanting desperately to not be found.

[ombranera]

"You grew up in the Kokari Wilds? But that-" Chasind territory, Flemeth territory. There are some places Zevran would never go for so many reasons: one being the unbearable cold and the other being a mysterious witch of the wilds that could turn into a dragon and my or may not wish to eat him. Ugh, he was beginning to shiver just thinking of it.

"I have not met many on my travels, sadly. They kept to themselves the bulk of the year I spent in Ferelden."

[savethecat]

Gorse looked mildly confused as Zevran fell silent. All the hard work to make their home safe for them had happened while Gorse was too young to remember, more or less. When he left, truly the biggest danger was mad wild animals and the occasional noxious weed.

That Zevran had spent time in Ferelden caught Gorse's interest, though, and he looked up from his work with the soil.

"Yeah? What brought you to Ferelden then? You don't really sound like you're from there, but I guess some accents get stranger than normal."

[ombranera]

"Well. First a contract that I failed to fulfill, then? The Blight." Saving the country and in turn the world was well worth doing. "Lovely country, full of mud, dogs, and muddy dogs. The people, though. Quite interesting in how they deal with politics and honor. Simpler, yes, but more easily understood for it."

[savethecat]

"Oh wow, you were in Ferelden during the Blight? We only saw a couple darkspawn where we were, got pretty damn lucky. Heard of whole villages getting overrun." Even the small commune suffered a couple losses, all the greater in that there were so few people there to begin with. Gorse was twelve at the time.

[ombranera]

"In is an understatement. We were traveling all over Ferelden trying to stop the Blight." And they had succeeded! Marvelous work. Earned him a fair bit of coin and freedom as well, everyone left happy if they left at all.

[savethecat]

A sort of recognition seemed to dawn on Gorse's face.

"Oh my gosh, were you with the people that stopped it? Had that big fight over the one big city?"

Gorse had heard extremely little, isolated as his little home was. There was a blight, the blight was stopped. A couple Grey Wardens had been involved as well as several non-wardens. No names, no real information beyond that. Even the knowledge that the fight had been over Denerim was something he'd overheard from other Inquisition soldiers talking to one another just recently.

[ombranera]

"Companion to the Hero of Fereldan and savior of Thedas of ten years ago? Yes." How did he not know more- well. Kokari wilds. That would keep anyone out of the loop. "It was quite a large battle between the armies and the Darkspawn- but we managed."

[savethecat]

They didn't exactly get regular post out in the wilds.

"That must have been so exciting! And scary too, gosh, that's incredible! What was it like?" Gorse liked stories, his own life had been pleasant but mostly low-key. Brave tales of heroism were nice, though - you didn't have to actually witness the violence involved. Of course, a moment later he realized that it probably was something pretty harrowing to go through, and quickly added an "-Um, if you don't mind my asking. It's alright if you'd rather not talk about it."

He did not want Zevran to feel obligated to relive a painful memory.

[ombranera]

"What was what part like? The battle of Denerim was the end of a long, wild adventure." An eager audience, enraptured by his tale? Is someone Zevran is more than pleased to indulge. "It would take quite a while to get through all of it and is best told with a warm meal and full tankard. Perhaps after we are finished her you might join me?"

Smooth, Zevran. There's the smooth.

[savethecat]

Gorse was already rather enraptured by just the possibility of it.

"Oh, gosh, if you aren't too busy or got other plans, that'd be fantastic!" Of course he'd have to clean up first he was sort of up to his elbows in dirt and all, and he'd have to grab his cleaner shirt, but then...!

[ombranera]

"No, this is how I spend my time in the evenings. Playing songs to telling tales. Having an engaged audience for this would be quite lovely." A fine way to spend a night, telling Gorse the tale of the fifth blight.