therookery | Casting down bad memories

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Beleth Ashara
RECIPIENT: Everyone who's part of the first group to Kirkwall
WHAT: Discussing what's to be done about the statues
WHEN: Sometime between Cloudreach 14th and 20th
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: This isn't an Official Poll that's going to decide things but it's a good way for people to throw out suggestions for voting on and discuss ideas

Good day, to every member of the Inquisition currently helping take care of the Gallows. We've been making some amazing progress, and I'm sure that our contributions will give this place the overhaul that it desperately needs. With time, the Gallows will become a symbol of hope, rather than despair.

If I may, I'd like to take time to discuss ideas for one of those symbols. Specifically, those horrid statues that are strewn about. Now that they will...probably no longer attempt to kill us.

I've been informed that there are artisans willing to melt down the statues and create new ones to be put in their place. Additionally, our group has been given permission to choose what kind of statues would be put up there. Suffice to say, whatever we go with will make a statement about our goals here. The Inquisition is trusting us to make sure that statement is positive.

So, I would like to discuss possibilities with everyone, and see if we can get some good ideas going.

To start the ball rolling, if it's alright, I'd like to share my own proposal. Of course, this is only a suggestion, and I welcome any other voices.

I propose that we have the statues remade to represent the diverse groups within the Inquisition. Have a statue of a dwarf, another of a Dalish, another of a mage, etc, etc. It would send a message of cooperation and coexistence, and hopefully promote such in our new home.

The floor is open for further suggestions.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

THE FEX [ ahem hello she definitely didn't fling herself across the room at her crystal to join this conversation ] are a fascinating race, but I'm afraid you'll find little of value in any library we have access to, particularly the one in Skyhold. I have cataloged the section here on the Qunari and their lands and have found it woefully sparse as well but I suppose that's to be expected. They had three copies of Larreaux's Journey to Par Vollen which has of course been thoroughly debunked, and only the second edition of Carregi's Essays On the Horns which I'm sure you'll agree [ she is so sure that she actually chuckles as she says it, this is the sort of thing everyone knows right ] is an utter waste of shelf space given the translation errors that weren't fixed until the fourth edition.

[Oh good, someone who is here about something that isn't judging him.]

Can you make up the gap where the books fall short? I'm assuming you've knowledge about them?

It's amazing that there's so little information on an entire race--But you've obviously done your research. Do you know anything more about them? My knowledge extends to the fact that they exist, and that's pretty much it.

Alas, you are not alone in your ignorance -- they are woefully understudied. Of course the real problem is that they never leave Par Vollen, and of course the Qun is frightfully unwelcoming to visitors, I can tell you that from experience!

[ and she will. as often as possible, in fact. she's very proud of that adventure, aborted as it was. ]

What we do know is that they are a docile, primitive people who have inhabited the island since the most ancient times. Today they are few and have been all but swallowed up by the Qunari, as the invaders have sadly overwhelmed them and enforced their own rule and the Fex, being simple people, go along. It's believed that there must have been some catastrophe in the island's past that wiped out those who built the magnificent pyramids of Par Vollen, as it's clear the Fex are merely living in someone else's ruins, with no knowledge of how the wonders surrounding them were created. But of course we've no idea who came before or how any of them got there. There are theories, most of them utter lunacy, but it's quite the mystery!

Primitive by what standards? And could their docility be attributed to being conquered and losing hope?

I wonder if the ruins are elven. The kingdom was supposed to stretch fairly far, though I don't think I've ever heard of them on islands. If they're neither Tevinter nor Elven--Hmm. I can see why some of the theories would be rather odd.

They bear no resemblance to any Elven art or architecture I have ever seen, nor have scholars I am familiar with every connected it to ancient elves. The pyramids are like nothing else in Thedas; mathematically near-perfect despite that they must have lacked modern tools of construction. I've published a paper on the subject, if you would care to read it. Visitors from far across the sea is a favorite theory -- quite literally outlandish. [ get it haha academic humor ]

As for their docility, I think not. They have no sophisticated tools or learning, no evidence of written language, and so forth. I suspect more likely that they were a small community isolated from society for so long that they became insular and some plague or similar disaster was able to wipe out much of their cultural knowledge and cause them to revert to an earlier time.

Nearly perfect mathematically buildings, but no tools? I actually would like to read the paper, please."

I wonder what kind of disaster could cripple a thriving, rich culture, and force it to live in the ruins of its former splendor.

[ Humans. Beleth would bet money it was humans. ]

I hope we never face such a thing. Though I suppose that's what the Inquisition is attempting to stop.

There is a copy in the library, I can have it set aside for you Monsieur...? [ aren't crystals fun, never having any idea who anyone is? ]

It is possible of course that there was no disaster. The pyramid-builders may have simply abandoned the island and returned from whence they came. It's impossible to say without proper excavation, but I've yet to convince the Qunari authorities to allow it. Perhaps if the Inquisition allies with them we shall find a way.

Anders.

[He doesn't feel like saying it publicly on the crystal now that they're in Kirkwall. And he doesn't feel like dealing with possible reactions from more than one person right now, not after the Fenris mess.]

Have we met? Ought I be able to guess? I know Ander does narrow it down, but I've met more than one of your countrymen in the Inquisition so far so I'm afraid I'll need another hint.

No, I'm sorry, I'm not being deliberately vague. I'm known as Anders.

Oh, I see. That's unfortunate! Do you find you're often taken for that Anders?

No. Never. No one ever makes the connection.

[...really?]

Casting down bad memories

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Private to Freddie; Beleth's thread can continue from here without Anders

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