give her a hand

[arlathvhen]

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Beleth
RECIPIENT: All hands on deck (everyone)
WHAT: It'd sure be handy if people could hide their anchor shards.
WHEN: Now
WHERE: Beleth is in the Gallows, but anyone can hear it
NOTES: This will probably be the start of trying to gain the upper hand on this anchor shard situation.

Hello, everyone. There have been several incidents now that have made it clear that there is a certain risk, in certain situations, of people openly possessing anchor shards. The least of which being that there are populations in Thedas that have a rather negative view of them.

The obvious solution is to simply wear gloves, but this method isn't guaranteed. It's chilly enough now, but it won't always be, and large groups of people all wearing gloves could become suspicious--particularly so if they all refuse to remove their gloves. Thus, we are going to need more methods to disguise the anchor shard that so many of our agents carry.

As this involves a large portion of the people in the Gallows, I thought that it would be prudent to pose this issue to everyone, so you can all offer your suggestions for possible solutions.

Additionally, I would like to ask for volunteers to test these methods on. [ She pauses for a moment, wondering if she needs to say it, then decides not to underestimate how paranoid some people can be. ] This will, as stated, be voluntary, and you will be made aware of what process is being tested, and what it will involve, and can back out at any point in time.

For instance, my first idea is to see if enough makeup can be applies to hide the shard, without making the hand look unnatural. If someone with an anchor shard would like to, I can arrange a meeting for us to test this.

All methods used and their results will, of course, be written down and filed for future reference.

Comments

[heirring]

Oh, I would think they'd need to be made. And I suppose you could use cloth as well, though the texture would be odd...

[Brightly:]

--But something in a very fair leather might be painted by an artist to match the individual.

[swordproof]

I will be there this evening, then. Do you need me to bring anything?

[hassaran]

You might stick a patch over the mark rather than a whole glove. Or a sort of wooden glove that looks as if they've lost the hand might be most effective.

[foxsays]

Makeup, even if you could find one though I think you might need to veer closer to paint and that might not do well for our skin, leaves a mark behind. For things that require a subtle touch, you'd be leaving a trail behind. Anything in the water it'll wash off.

And gloves aren't practical for every application. Climbing, for instance, you can't do in gloves, it's useless. On ships you need to have a firmer grasp of the rigging than a glove would allow.

[Gloves are for the soft who don't have the sea in their blood.]

[coquettish_trees]

Ah, yes, prudent of you to attempt to avoid overuse. Although truly there is nothing unseemly about the very natural use of ones hands. It seems the Scoutmaster is a woman who understands this!

[motherfucking_ghost]

Sup, I'm up for anything people wanna test. I just generally use gloves, but only if I think people knowing is gonna cause a mission actual problems. Otherwise I just use 'em for practicality.

Not that I'm not for making it easier on people in the meantime, just that maybe we also need to make people aware that shards aren't scary.

Or, like, they can be, actually, definitely, but the people that have them aren't.

Or, I mean, well, I mean like, they're not demons. Is what I mean.

[rathercommon]

What about jewelry?

[luxating]

Dye everyone green.

[arlathvhen]

No, your presence will be enough.

[arlathvhen]

[ Suspiciously: ]

Thank you. I try to think practically of the situations that may arise.

[ She has a feeling there is some Hidden Meaning that she can't quite understand. ]

[arlathvhen]

You have my permission to seek out and request the services of such a leatherworker and artist to attempt to commission such a glove.

[ AKA she isn't confident in such a plan, but she won't write it off entirely. Time to foist it off. ]

[arlathvhen]

A patch made out what kind of material? It would have to look natural, or--maybe something to make it look like a tattoo? The wooden glove--Isn't a bad idea, but it would be tricky to replicate the appearance of wood. Not impossible, though. Maybe put some thin rods in it, to keep the fingers stiff...?

[arlathvhen]

Yes, both have their drawbacks. Which is why I'm asking for different ideas, so we can try to have multiple options for multiple scenarios.

[arlathvhen]

Yes, the ideal scenario would be lessening the negative opinion of people with shards. Hopefully, that will come sooner rather than later. In the meantime, we'll need to work with what the situation is.

And as Scoutmaster, occasionally I require a certain level of discretion for missions, where people don't need to know that we're from the Inquisition. Which can be tricky, if the person has something that only those in the Inquisition possess.

[arlathvhen]

Is there jewelry that covers that area? If it exists, that would certainly be a good possibility. It would be very useful for situations that requires formal dress, as long as it can stay in place.

[arlathvhen]

[ Dryly: ]

Thank you for your suggestion.

[rathercommon]

Sure. There's this one thing - I don't know what it's called - where there's a ring on your middle finger, and your sleeve sort of attaches to the ring. Covers the palm and the back of the hand. Does that make sense?

[hassaran]

A leather patch? I'm not sure what would be required, I've no upclose experience with anchors.

It would be easier and more effective to use actual wood. Carved into a normal prosthetic hand, but hollowed out to be worn. It would be difficult to lose the use, but better than discovery or capture.

[swordproof]

As you say. I will be there.

[luxating]

I mean it, though. Not like — the whole person, that's a joke, but when people dye things a lot doesn't it leave a stain? It wouldn't work for groups of course, or any more than once or twice.

[tofindthesun]

It would be wearisome on both our parts, nonetheless, even if our company is mutually enjoyed. [chipper. there's definitely no hidden meanings here.] But that would be appreciated, if it can be spared.

If there are any other methods you wish to test, I offer my services as well.

[iceblade]

Gloves are only a problem if us anchor-bearers alone make a habit of wearing them, aye? If others join in, then we can hide in plain sight...as much as we can, anyway. Not perfect, but we don't get that most likely.

Or can your enchanters craft something magical to disguise them? I never thought to ask before, but that might work better than something that can rub off.

Either way, you can have another hand for testing if you like.

private ∞

[foxsays]

You know it might give some ideas too.

[Araceli has perfect faith in all her fellow rifters who have never disappointed her at all, ever.]

[in_death_sacrifice]

I've made a habit of wearing gloves regularly... although I lost my favorite pair not long ago. The replacement pair isn't nearly as good. You're right about it also being a nuisance in the warmer months, at times, though it doesn't usually look too out of place, paired with my armor.

Still... I'm willing to try any of your ideas, if there's potential for something better to emerge.

[coquettish_trees]

[ you can stay ♥ ]