closed | project meeting

[misdirection_hex]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Vandelin Elris
RECIPIENT: Members of the Hostile Powers project who are not currently imprisoned
WHAT: Conference call to discuss recent events
WHEN: After people have returned from Tevinter
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: None

Enchanter Averesch and I-- [Because damned if Vandelin is going to dispense with formalities and titles just because he was told to.] --thought it best that we all confer about our collective priorities in the aftermath of Corypheus' assault. Priorities, strategies, suggestions for what we can each individually do.

Are we all met?

Comments

[exequy]

As far as I know, she is very old and was not in the best health before all of this. If she is rescued from Hossberg she may need to be rescued from the entire country. [ And she can't provide that much fire to a resistance on the other side of a closed border, is his point that he isn't going to actually coherently make. ] We can look into it.

Tevinter may have an easier time. They have more resources. Slaves aside.

[hassaran]

[ He doesn't need to spell it out. Yseult hmms, disappointed and thoughtful. They can look into it. ]

Dissent in Tevinter seems inevitable, it's a question of who and how many. Someone with more political expertise should identify the most palatable of the nobles who will object, and then we can identify how to support their efforts. Or push the if necessary.

[exequy]

Does it have to be the nobility?

[eruit]

In Tevinter? Yes. [ Hanzo is... Trying. ] I can... Help.

[exequy]

We can decide what is necessary of anyone after we decide what we are doing.

[eruit]

As you say. [ But, hm. ] I would prefer the matter of my position to be kept private.

[exequy]

That is what I am attempting to do.

[eruit]

And you have my thanks for it. [ He's so uncomfortable right now. ]

not here;

[wythersake]

[ well that's interesting. time 2 dig. ]

[hassaran]

It will be much easier to raise an effective opposition if it's headed by nobles. The sort of power and resources they possess aren't something we can replicate, and they're best prepared to engage with magical threats on this level.

[exequy]

We could—

[ He's gonna throw up. ]

—we could prepare other people. To an extent. In addition.

[wythersake]

They've been fighting the Qunari for — 

[ he doesn't actually know. what is he, a nerd. ]

— An absurd length of time. The military and merchant classes are powerful, and may be more willing to strike a deal that opens the Imperium to outsiders. Southern expansion profits them, but a civil war's disruption we might leverage. With or without a giant party at the end.

[ you know. orlais. ]

[hassaran]

Are you suggesting that we seek their support, or that we try to topple the Magisterium in their favor?

[wythersake]

Both, [ does that sound gutlessly indecisive, because it is, but also: ] For now.

I suggest we feel out our options. Approach likely nobles, but make it a point to do so through their officers, their creditors, the hands in the field.

But if pressed to choose —

[ he tries not to. it's inevitable here, else they look like they're playing both sides false. but hopefully that can be someone else's fault. ]

A Magister without backing is only a mage. A man who can conjure fire isn't going to move an army alone.

[ how much does old blood count for, if they can secure money and might? it's not a nation of only altus to deal with magical threats. and the dwarves will have ideas. ]

[hassaran]

It's my understanding that our mission is to defeat Corypheus as quickly and completely as possible. Adding a secondary objective this significant would risk delaying the accomplishment of the primary goal. Isn't that a decision for Skyhold?

[wythersake]

No more or less than a decision to work through the titled power structure.

It's one thing to plot a coup, it's another to build alliances through those who actually enforce them. The Venatori will be targeting dissenters. Easier for them to lop off a few heads at the top, than to reconstruct the infrastructure of a nation.

[hassaran]

The approach you're suggesting will sow conflict among Tevinters that has nothing to do with Corypheus or the Venatori. We can either try to harness Tevinter's power ourselves against them or we can try to tear down its power and deny them use of it, but we can't do both at the same time.

[rathercommon]

[ Kitty pipes up a bit hesitantly. She's new here. ]

What about - approaching the slaves? In Tevinter. If we could arm them and help them get organized...

[exequy]

Not impossible.

[ Andraste (or Shartan, but that's neither here nor there) did it. Not to say that anyone here is as cool as Andraste. ]

[rathercommon]

[ --holy shit, was that seriously Kostos not shooting her down? Damn, shit. Encouraged, she goes on: ]

It'll depend a bit on how they're being treated there now. If their lives are better under Corypheus than they were under the previous lot, then we won't get anywhere. Given who Corypheus is, though, that doesn't seem likely. So we'd want to find some way of getting intelligence about what's going on with them.

[exequy]

[ Shooting down ideas is the opposite of the purpose of this exercise. ]

I can add it to the list of things we need to know.

Understanding how previous slave rebellions occurred and how they failed, too. I am sure someone has written a book.

[rathercommon]

[ HOT DAMN ]

I could start doing that research.

[exequy]

Maker help us.

[ haha jk.

The Maker doesn’t help anybody. ]

[rathercommon]

I'll take that as a "go ahead, and thank you, Kitty, for your help, I expect you'll be brilliant."

[exequy]

If you like.