hostile powers | open to project members

[hassaran]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Yseult
RECIPIENT: All members of the Hostile Powers project
WHAT: Talking about the project's current goals and how to help work toward them
WHEN: Now
WHERE: In your ear
NOTES: N/A

Hello. [ a female voice, and a crisp Marcher-ish accent ] You're receiving this message because you're a member of the Hostile Powers project. If we haven't spoken before, my name is Yseult and I assist with leading this project. Kostos Averesch, the project leader, has asked me to reach out to all of you to talk about the work we'll be focusing on in the coming months.

We've settled on three goals that we'll all be working toward until further notice. The first is destabilizing the hold that Corypheus and his allies have on Tevinter and on the Anderfels. If we can make them less secure in their power at home it will affect their ability to continue pushing the invasion forward.

The second is to improve our understanding of our enemy's tactics. We need to know more about the forces that Tevinter and the Anderfels have in the field, how they fight, how they are supplied, and who leads them, so that we can be better-prepared to combat them in the future.

Finally, we know that our enemy has agents across Thedas. Some work covertly as spies, gathering information while pretending to be disinterested or even on our side. Others may openly advocate positions that help the enemy. We need to identify these agents wherever they are so that we can then either neutralize them or use them to our own advantage.

Achieving these goals will take a great deal of work from us all. Averesch and I are interested in hearing your proposals for how to approach these goals. If you're not sure what we should do, we'd still like to hear from you about any skills, information, or connections you have that might be useful. This will help us ensure we are directing each of you toward the work where you can be the most help.

If you have questions, or would prefer to discuss privately, you may contact us via crystal or in the project office at your convenience.

Comments

[altusimperius]

I would do anything to get Corypheus out of Tevinter.

[hassaran]

Hello, Benedict. That's [ super vague ] an admirable attitude. You're familiar with Tevinter society, maybe you could provide us with information about influential citizens and whether you think they might be willing to act against Corypheus?

[switched to private]

[altusimperius]

I haven't been able to contact my family since Minrathous was taken. But they have contacts outside the capital.

I... [A long, awkward pause.] ...I wouldn't know how to approach them without... potentially betraying any loyalties. But. I will, if you ask it.

[hassaran]

You've said that your family is already aware that you work with the Inquisition, yes?

[altusimperius]

Yes. Aware and in support of it.

[rathercommon]

[ Fiercely: ]

We need to help the slaves in Tevinter find a way to organize. So they can resist Corypheus and the rest.

[ and also murder the tevinters who try to re-establish non-Corypheus control, what's up ]

[altusimperius]

[hassaran]

To do that we'll need to find and make contact with whatever resistance groups already exist. Were you able to gather any information about them during your last trip to Tevinter?

[rathercommon]

Yeah. A bit. I can write it up for you, if you - want it written down.

[ From the stage-plays she's seen...spies seem to rarely want anything committed to paper. They're always burning notes. Or eating them. ]

[hassaran]

[ how do you think spies stay in such good shape it's their constant diet of small bits of paper ]

Please do, we should add that to our files. In general how prepared would you say they are they to mount an armed rebellion?

[wont_be_me]

Find a spy, start writing their reports for them. Forgery is my specialty.

[hassaran]

Depending on the spy that may be the best approach. You're new to the project, yes?

[wont_be_me]

Brand new. [ Just from her voice you can tell Carla Morir is a swaggering ass. ] I was starting to get bored, so here I am.

[hassaran]

[ Yseult is all cool professionalism, in contrast. ] We welcome any assistance. You must be Carla? [ The project isn't big enough for new paperwork to go unnoticed. ]

[wythersake]

Do we — [ general we. project people. ] — Have anything that might serve for bait?

[wont_be_me]

I would normally offer myself, but I think in closed quarters I'll too obviously be one of your Rifters.

[ So she's not so arrogant that she can't think. ]

[wythersake]

That would make you more suitable. The Venatori have shown no shortage of desire to lay hands upon your own.

[ but that also seems like a plan that could go to shit in a hurry. it's hardly the most subtle endeavour, either. yseult can weigh in upon that. or kostos, if he hasn't pawned this off entirely. ]

private.

[eruit]

I intend to reclaim my seat in the Magisterium. The Shimada family will work to aid the Inquisition.

[hassaran]

Do you intend to make your affiliation with the Inquisition public?

[eruit]

If necessary.

[hassaran]

A discreet ally in the Magisterium would seem more useful. And less dangerous for your family. Do they share your opinions?

[wythersake]

Have we heard anything out of the Anderfels? [ by 'we' he means 'yseult' aka 'someone qualified to be here' ] Recently, rather.

[hassaran]

No. Cultivating some source of intelligence there is a top priority. With the Warden-King Vidal dead at Ghislain there may be opportunities now there were not before.

[wythersake]

Some chaos in the succession, at least. The Darkspawn that surfaced had to come from somewhere — if they're on the surface, they may have vacated some portion of the Deep Roads. I don't like it, but it could be a way in.

And not all the wounded will return be capable of returning to the field. They might bother carting some of the important ones home.

[hassaran]

Those are good ideas. Do you know how you're going to pursue them?