Cats and Rats and Elephants

[utulien_aure]

FORM: Sending Crystal
SENDER: Thor, Adalia, Fingon
RECIPIENT: Everyone
WHAT: Gathering information on the Inquisition's animal population
WHEN: Late Cloudreach
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: Survey can be found here


Greetings, Inquisition! [Thor’s voice booms.] We come to you with a specific purpose! We wish to know about what creatures you call your own.

I’m Adalia, the man you just heard was Thor, and our other… associate [ ??? sure, associate, why not ] is Fingon. We’ve been tasked by the forces division to enquire after everyone’s pets, be they nugs or war horses. To that end, we have a survey! Please fill it out.

We are terribly sorry at the lack of originality, but we assumed people would take it poorly if we were to linger outside the stables and interrogate anyone who wandered in.

And it would smell, [Thor adds cheerfully.]

Most things do, you realize.

But not as bad as a stable.

[Just shaking his head and sighing at that one] The questions should not take you long to answer, and if you have issues of concern we haven’t covered just bring them up. We’ll be glad to take them into account.

If the idea of giving us information about your pet makes you nervous, because you have… I don’t know, maybe a dragon..... [ hi, aro ] rest assured that this information will only be used in order to help the Inquisition help you take care of them. So we have two choices of how you can take the survey: meet with one of us and complete it in person, or we have a paper copy you can fill out instead, whichever makes you most comfortable.

Comments

[elegiaque]

Would you like an accounting of my animals? They aren't currently all routinely here, but—

( gwenaëlle is in and out of the gallows a lot, so are some of her animals—all of them when she's staying here. that a more permanent arrangement is on the horizon doesn't escape her, she might as well volunteer. )

[thunderproof]

For as long as you're with the Inquisition, yeah, I think so. We'll need to know what to do with your animals should anything terrible happen.

[periastron]

What if it's in your care but it ain't a pet, exactly?

[thunderproof]

Then it is still an animal under the care of an agent of the Inquisition, and we need to know about it! Please fill out a survey, or approach either myself or one of the men to give your answers to us.

[somethingwild]

Are you only looking for information concerning animals who reside in the stables?

[utulien_aure]

Not at all. If anything, information on less common animals might be more useful, should aught happen to their caretakers in the future.

[gatheringstorm]

I have a mount; a nuggalope called Asher. His horns are almost as magnificent as mine.

[utulien_aure]

Then they must be truly remarkable, serah.

[circleprodigy]

Well...I don't own Potato so much as she allows me to ride her, but I suppose our bonds counts for this purpose. Potato is one of the griffons in the Grey Wardens' care.

And there is Garahel, of course. [Cue friendly canine bark.] He is a mabari, a breed well-known to Ferelden. They are quite intelligent and unshakably loyal creatures.

[thorndergod]

You have a griffon, and you have named her Potato.

[He sounds absolutely befuddled.]

[iceblade]

I have a Greater Frostback Elk called Kodlak; a finer mount, I've never had.

I've also come into a wee nug I've named Mjoll. She seems content more often than not.

[utulien_aure]

An elk? How has it adapted to Kirkwall, if I may ask?

[sorcerised]

[ He was all set to side-eye this request from a comfortable distance of very far away, and then they have to put in a line he can't ignore. Damn it, Adalia. It makes him no less suspicious of the Inquisition and their purpose in all this, which isn't exactly clear. But he does trust her, at least in terms of believing she'd want no harm to come to Iessa.

So okay, fine. If he has to. ]

I can come and meet you. I mean, Adalia already knows what I'm going to say anyway. Are you absolutely sure this won't go anywhere else? Just because the Inquisition tolerates my friend doesn't mean everyone else out there will.

[utulien_aure]

We have absolutely no interest in confiscating your companion, if that is what you fear.

[mousquetaire]

My horse came with me. He's stabled in Kirkwall, and I take care of him myself. I wouldn't exactly call him a war horse, but I often ride him under fire.i don't need any particular help for him, but I'll answer your request all the same.

[utulien_aure]

My thanks, serah. It would be useful to know how many are housed here, even if you never need assistance yourself.

[in_death_sacrifice]

I have a dracolisk that I inherited from a dead man, and... do griffons count? Their bonds are beyond that of most other pets, and they're not so much owned... but I suppose you'd like a full accounting of all the creatures we work with.

Also, does it count as a pet if you didn't willingly adopt it, but it... sort of... adopted you? Because I have one of those in addition.

[thorndergod]

Do you tend to the animal? It would count if you do.

[coiledscales]

She's very willful and doesn't seem to know what she really wants to do and she has some rather sharp claws. But she's endearing, all the same.

[ Wait. ]

[thunderproof]

❰ huh wha ❱

You have a pet? You've been here like a month and a half, how do you have a pet?

[aceso]

You can send a paper copy to my office. It is on the seventh floor of the central tower, and says Red Lyrium Project on the door.

[utulien_aure]

Easily done. I’ll bring up a copy shortly.

[bouclier]

Some people enjoy the smell of the stables.

I have an Orlesian Courser, his name is Calixte.

[thorndergod]

...Enjoy it. I knew I would hear some strange things in these lands, but that is not one of the expected things.

[inagutterson]

Twenty nugs and a goose. D'you have a decent supply of ink there?

[Are you ready for the names of all of his children???]

[utulien_aure]

Enough that you should not have to open your veins to finish. And we can borrow more if the situation looks truly dire.

[Well, can't be worse than the names some of his relatives came up with]

[serannas]

I have a hedgehog! How many questions do I need to answer? Do you think all questions will apply to her?

[utulien_aure]

I think you can omit the combat questions, under the circumstances.

You could go into a bit more detail on question four, though. I can't imagine many people here have much experience with pet hedgehogs.

[aenseidhe]

What could the knowledge of local pets have anything to do with the Forces division? [ if it were just mounts alone, he could understand that, for want of a cavalry, perhaps, but house pets??? ]

[utulien_aure]

I believe the part of the official instructions that requested we look into weaponizing the nugs was facetious, but there are enough animals which fight alongside their masters to merit keeping track of. The mabari are fearsome fighters, for example, and the Grey Wardens here keep a flock of griffons for mounts.

As to the rest- it seems reasonable enough to ask how many mouths are being fed out of Inquisition stores and who is responsible for said mouths. And to make sure there are instructions on how to handle some of the more unusual creatures, should something happen to their usual caretaker.

[Say, the care and feeding of baby dragons if their mothers are suddenly unavailable.]

[the_cleric]

Hello, my name is Jester, and I have a question. How do we get pets, if we want them? Because, I really really really want a pet, but I do not have any yet.

[thunderproof]

...um. Well. I imagine you could buy a horse or find a dog or something? How do people usually get pets?

[castintoflames]

One of you knows my...pet...well. (It is a bit strange to call Rúnya a pet, but it must be so. Maedhros is far too affectionate towards the Hart for it to be otherwise.) I would like him cared for very much if I am ever absent.

[utulien_aure]

You know I would gladly look after him for you, cousin.