Truth or Dare: The Imperial Court

[madame_de_fer]

WHO: Select Orlesian and Fereldan Nobility and the Inquisition
WHAT: Josephine and Vivienne have orchestrated a good-will soiree in response to this dastardly rumor.
WHEN: Drakonis 15, Evening
WHERE: Skyhold Great Hall
NOTES:
- A list of nobles in attendance can be found here. The list was provided by the mods but there will be no npc support for them. Play away.
- A secondary outside party is being held in the valley in the tent town for anyone who couldn't/wouldn't attend and/or behave in the fancy pansty party.
- The goal of the evening is to clear up a spurious rumor about Cassandra and Leliana, with secondary goals of establishing the Inquisition as a respectable presence in Thedas (and fish for more money). Any major disruptions that would Game Over the court approval should probably be brought to the advisors and/or mods.



To say that Josphine has far outdone herself with this little soiree would be the understatement of the year. The Lady Ambassador has pulled out all the stops in providing a festive and yet elegant stage for this political intervention. Because sometimes gossip can be more deadly than a sword.

The Great Hall of Skyhold has been converted into a grand receiving hall, glittering with hundreds of lights around the room, in addition to the repairs accomplished to the original chandeliers. Of course, there has been artful placement arranged so there are a few shadowy corners for rendezvous of the more suggestive nature. Just in case. The majority of the floor has been cleared for dancing, and a fine troupe of musicians have been installed for the bulk of the evening's entertainments. Some members of the Inquisition have plans to entice attendees with their own artistic performances in addition to the group of mages performing illusory tricks to oohs and aahs.

For those who feel their energy flagging, there are chairs set against the walls, with a few tables interspersed between. Servers hired for the evening circulate the crowds with wine, fine Orlesian and Nevarran reds as well as crisp whites from Antiva. Refreshments are set out on buffet tables, tasteful and extravagant nibbles, including imported cheeses, spicy saucisson, dried fruits and nuts, and the highly sought after deep mushroom and anise petits fours that are all the rage in Orlais.

Comments

[motherfucking_ghost]

He was trying so very hard to remember what Christine was telling him earlier about making impressions and not saying everything that's on his mind. While he didn't physically bite his tongue, it was a near thing.

At least the steam building in him was cut off early enough that it was already dying instead of building to a crescendo. Church straightened his back and gave a short nod. "No, I guess you can't."

He turned to the accosted lady. "Sorry to interrupt the riveting discussion on the nature of rifters." The extending of his hand to shake, the one with the shard in it, for the noble to see, was for once extremely deliberate. "I'll try to let you answer questions and accusations yourself next time."

[make_my_mark]

Lara's expression softened as she looked at Church, appreciating the solidarity behind the interruption, as she reached to take his hand.

"It's strange times for everyone. No harm done." She shook his hand and then released it. "I'm Lara, by the way."

[motherfucking_ghost]

"Church. Always good to meet another person from another dimension who fell through a rip in every conceivable reality. Gotta stick together." With a shrug and a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the whole room. "Against people who're gonna assume we're out opening demon portals and shit."

[make_my_mark]

The noble humpfed and muttered under his breath in Orlaisan, but turned away with a swish of his cloak.

Lara pulled a quick face, but then offered Church a small (lightly amused) smile.

"I'm not sure he'll be calling it a pleasure," she mused, "but thank you."

[motherfucking_ghost]

"He doesn't have to. I'm supposed to play nice, but I'm not gonna let some frou-frou asshat be rude to a lady. Or one of us."

Shit, is this really turning into an us vs them situation? Because the last time that happened, it wasn't even real. "I mean, so long as I don't offend everyone with my big mouth, we should be just fine. Hopefully."

[make_my_mark]

"No, no," she agreed, "Let's try to avoid that. I understand tonight means a lot to the Inquisition, and even if I didn't ask to be here, I don't want to be the reason they fail."

Corypheus certainly seemed to be in need of stopping.

[motherfucking_ghost]

"You seem to be taking this 'fell into another dimension and expected to help people you don't know' thing pretty well. For being new. I assume you're new? New-ish? We're only kind of semi vaguely organized. Us, I mean, people that are us. Maybe we just need to make an official super special awesome rifter club."

[make_my_mark]

"It's certainly new," Lara agreed with a small nod of her head. "...But it was an interesting few years for me even before the rift."

Her brow firmed.

"And I saw what was going on in the Emprise. Anyone who would do what was happening in those camps.... There's no telling when I'll be able to go home, I don't want to end up like that before I get the chance."

[motherfucking_ghost]

"I, uh, kinda missed that part," he says with raised eyebrows. "You could say I don't get out much. What was going on in the camps?"

[make_my_mark]

"They were keeping people in cages and--," her face tightened, eyes darkening. "Growing things in them. That red lyrium. Apparently they were taking them from the village and forcing them to work the mines until--"

Her lips pressed together.

[motherfucking_ghost]

"Wow. Shit. Sorry." No wonder Christine's schmoozing is important. "And that's what you dropped into? And here all I had to worry about were swamp zombies. That's some creepy shit, though. Growing in them? Like for real growths like a fucking fungus?"

[make_my_mark]

"Well, it was demons at the very first, and there were some dragons too, but yes." The images replayed in her mind, a flash of bodies, twisted and broken, the agony they'd suffered clear even after death. She could almost feel the heat of the lyrium again.

(Hear the hiss of the Greek Fire pots as the Deathless loaded and prepared and to fire at her. Smell the rot of the Stormguard's victims as she hung above them, awaiting her turn.)

"It was terrible. And anyone who wants that to stop, I can't help but agree with."