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

[dalishious]

Merrick neglects to mention how many times he has saved Gavin in the past, because he finds himself distracted all of a sudden. Gavin's right; Merrick has killed a lot of people. Much more than the other Asharas have. It's a realization that makes his stomach turn a little. He doesn't know why.

"So what have you been doing all this time, anyway?" Time to change the subject.

[slipshot]

Merrick was talking, rather than fighting, so Gavin had done his job, and let himself relax, smiling at him.

"I've been working with the scouts, for the most part. Heading out before the Inqu--" But there he suddenly halted, and then completely changed his sentence. The Inquisitor was dead. There was no point talking about her, especially to anyone in his clan. He knew they wouldn't understand.

"Heading out before the rest of the Inquisition does, surveying area, seeing what's most liable to kill us. Then - well - Haven. And we had to shift a bit, and come here, so I've been a bit cooped up for a few days."

[dalishious]

"So when so we start doing that?" he interjects, looking frustrated. "We came all the way here to just clean up the humans' castle for them, apparently."

He huffs. "I wish I'd joined sooner, when you did."

[slipshot]

"I'm not even so sure it is a human castle," Gavin said, thoughtfully. "I mean - it is now, but I've heard rumours that the original construction was Elven." Which was absolutely fascinating to him, but - yes, maybe not the point that Merrick was trying to get to. He coughed.

"Ah - soon, I hope. Once they figure out who -- well, what they figure out how we're going to continue, without the Inquisitor."

He gave Merrick a look there - for several seconds, it was almost sad - but it covered up quickly with a smile he didn't quite feel.

"I'm glad you didn't, to be honest. Not sure how well I'd be able to lure you away from just picking a fight with a blighted dragon..."