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

[bookish_lioness]

Considering that the politics of Thedas as a whole were so different from what she was used to, Hermione should have guessed that calling something politically incorrect likely wouldn't have been understood the way it would back home. But she hadn't quite yet learned to be overly particular about her words, aside from whenever she might normally choose to use popular idioms or references.

She was silent for a moment before asking, "And what would happen if they didn't know that story? If we couldn't close the rifts, or if they thought we were more of a risk than a help? I've already met one person with the Inquisition who seems to distrust all rifters - especially the ones who can do magic; meeting other people who feel the same and who also happen to have substantial clout within their governments wouldn't bode well for anyone."

[aceso]

"Then you would be about as useful as they think mages are, which is to say, not at all." Her lips pressed together in an expression she often made, signaled by the lines that appeared at the corners of her mouth.

"You have a purpose, and for now, that is enough for them. I cannot say what the future holds."

[bookish_lioness]

As much as she hates to think of the skies of Thedas being torn open and continuously having demons and new, unsuspecting rifters being dropped onto the ground, Hermione also doesn't want to think of what might happen the day there are no more rifts that need closing. Shuddering a little, she glances down at her hand and murmurs, "As nice as all of this is - tonight, this gala, with all its trimmings - I hope we can figure out some way to get back home before people start thinking us useless. From what I've seen and heard and read about the treatment of the mages, I don't think I want to be here the day certain people realize they don't need a foreign mage with a shard in her hand sitting freely about the hold."

[aceso]

"I hope that too. People have been trying to research, but the rifts can be dangerous and have killed some who study them, if the demons don't first." Your Trainer out in the lower courtyard was a grim reminder of the results of the pursuit of knowledge if it was a dangerous thing. It made Christine want to take every precaution with red lyrium.

[bookish_lioness]

"Surely people don't go out to study them without some manpower readily available?" Hermione asks, looking mildly scandalized. "If they pour out as many demons as they had the day I'd arrived here, how can one person think he or should would be safe simply going out there alone?" She certainly has no intention of leaving Skyhold without her own fair share of weapons, including several pairs of strong hands to wield those weapons.

[aceso]

"There are some scholars who prefer to work alone," she replied with a disapproving shake of her head. "Those who study rifts, dragons, demons, anything dangerous you can think of. But even those going in a group find their numbers reduced by the end of it."

[bookish_lioness]

"But at least there are survivors to tell the tale and salvage whatever knowledge had been gained," Hermione pointed out. "Going out alone, no one even knows if you're ever coming back. How horrible would that be, stumbling across some great discovery, only to end up dead in a ditch or in some animal's belly before you can get back to safety and publish it?"

[aceso]

"It would be horrible," she said, eyes downcast. "Sometimes bodies are found, and their notes. It is discovered what they were trying to do, and easy to put the pieces together to see how they died. So you see, studying rifts is a dangerous endeavor, and cannot be entered lightly by just anyone with time and ambition."

[bookish_lioness]

"Time, ambition, the ability to fight, and the contacts to bolster their numbers should something happen," Hermione pointed out. "It's a valorous cause, I'm sure, but hopefully no one has been foolish about jumping into the thick of things without taking the proper precautions."

[aceso]

Christine raised her gaze, looking grim. "Hopefully, yes. But let us talk no more of such dark things. This party is trial enough without adding to it."

[bookish_lioness]

Talking about hypotheticals almost seemed to be cheerful when compared to talking about the reality of this particular party, but she couldn't necessarily expect Christine to understand that. "I wouldn't call this a trial. It's just a matter of forcibly mingling with masked nobles who may or may not have strong opinions about my being a rifter, never mind one who can do magic. What's so bad about that?"

[aceso]

Christine couldn't help but looked surprised at Hermione's opinion that this was not a trial, but then she went on and her expression relaxed.

"Oh, nothing," she answers breezily. "A walk in the garden is more dangerous. You might trip on a pebble. This is as easy as breathing, no?"

[bookish_lioness]

"It's almost as simple as saving the world," Hermione replied just as airily, though her lips did quirk up into a small smile by this point. "And just about as fun. No wonder so few people seem so concerned about this Corypheus bloke walking about."

[aceso]

Christine let out a huff. "There are many who question whether he is even real. Yet those of us at Haven saw him before we evacuated. But that is what this soiree is hoping to accomplish. We are showing people that the Inquisition takes this threat seriously, and will work to stop it."

[bookish_lioness]

"They doubt him because they can't see him, despite the fact that people have lost their lives because of him?" Hermione asked. It was like Voldemort's return all over again, wherein people in key positions of power refused to believe he'd come back until things had gotten too bad to fix. "Really, you'd think more people would at least be willing to prepare their lands and their individual families for the worst."

[aceso]

"Yes. When the enemy is unseen, people will make any excuse they can as to what is happening out there. They do not understand until it is too late and the enemy is at their door." But maybe they could change minds tonight. It was a big 'maybe,' but stranger things had happened, like people falling out of rifts in the sky.

"Right now, the conflict between mages and Templars is what grabs people's attention most. We must shift it to the threat over the whole world that we must face."

[bookish_lioness]

"I thought these rifts people like me fell out of had been caused by what had happened at Haven," Hermione brought up. "Or, at least, that people hadn't started coming through the rifts until then. That they can see us, with shards in our hands, and still think that Haven had never happened? It's willful ignorance."

And while Hermione might not be a fan of ignorance, the willful variety is the worst there is.

[aceso]

"The rifts are scattered throughout southern Thedas, but those who do not live near one will think they are nothing more than stories. If not that, then I am sure they blame the rifts on mages."

Because what wasn't blamed on them in her opinion?

"People fear change, and they think their ignorance serves them well."

[bookish_lioness]

"Would that ignorance help them if they decided to travel south for some reason?" Hermione asked. "Especially when they see that there is nothing about these rifts that benefit the mages one way or the other?"

Hermione was willing to bet that it wouldn't, though to be honest, that was more likely than not because they wouldn't bother amending their ignorance even when faced with facts.

[aceso]

Christine smiled thinly and shook her head no. Ignorant people were often stubborn too. Such was life, unfortunately.

"You see, change comes slowly in this place. With the recent war throwing everything into chaos, people will cling to the familiar and resist change even when it is upon them. But tonight is about hopefully opening eyes."

[bookish_lioness]

Hermione supposed that was the benefit to living in a world with such convenient means of quick or even immediate communication: news traveled fast, and usually fairly effectively. Here in Thedas, where they didn't even seem to have newspapers? That wasn't exactly the case.

"Then I hope we succeed," she stated simply. "Heaven knows Thedas as a whole could stand to have its eyes opened in more than one regard."

[aceso]

"Agreed," she answered with a small incline of her head. "It has been good to speak with you again, but if you will excuse me, I think I should attempt to open a few more eyes."

[bookish_lioness]

Nodding in return, Hermione offered her a smile before commenting, "I wouldn't dream of stopping you. Good luck, Christine. It was nice talking to you again."