private to pirates.

[exequy]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Colin, Kostos, Myr
RECIPIENT: Pirates
WHAT: Business deals
WHEN: Nowish
NOTES: It doesn't actually make sense for this conversation to happen via crystal instead of in a back room somewhere but for ease of threadjacky conversation we're ignoring that! People are elsewhere and can't talk in person, for some reason. Also if you want your character to be involved in this conversation and think that they would/should/could have been invited to it, we can almost certainly add you in! Just ask someone first.

Serahs-- If you’re hearing this it’s because we--myself, Colin, and Kostos--spoke to you previously about a proposition we’d like to make you, on behalf of the south’s mages. You may be aware that the Inquisition agreed to return any property recovered from the Circles directly to us when the war’s over.

[A brief pause.] We’d like to see it remains in our possession--or at least out of anyone else’s hands. [The Chantry’s. Say the Chantry’s, Myr.

...nah.]

[Colin’s voice lightly mutters,] So we’re...asking.

We need a place to put it and a way to move it there, [ Kostos cuts in, ] and we need to know what the cost would be. Some of it could be dangerous, if the people handling it are stupid, but the majority would be books. Some art. Money. If we're all executed, you can keep it.

Comments

[ebeje]

If you are not executed, what is to prevent the men from keeping it?

[ Just curious. ]

[exequy]

I prefer not to threaten people.

[ Sometimes. With magic, in specific ways. ]

[ebeje]

Nor would I expect that to be very effective.

[ At least, not in ways that are useful to her personally to mention. ]

If you were to offer something worth more to us than your gold, however...

[exequy]

Like?

[ebeje]

We've an island overrun by Venatori mages, and few among our number with the gift.

[staysail]

And the danger would be what, exactly, for the stupid?

[exequy]

Some of what we need moved will be enchanted or spirit-bound. We would contain it for safe handling before handing it to anyone else, but it would need to remain contained.

[ Don't rifle through their shit. ]

[staysail]

Oh, is that all.

[Just kidding, that's a lot.]

Why'd you not tell us that you've enchanted the lot of it? Or genuinely enchant it so as any thieves will have their thumbs blown off, or something along those lines. Then you'd have no need to be hiring anyone to carry it off for you and take a double chance on getting it back once the world's settled down a bit.

[exequy]

Would we not be getting it back from you?

[staysail]

Oh, not me. I'm no thief. I'd not be robbing any of you, no matter how easy. Never stab you in the back. Never lie, never cheat. Don't know much of these others you're considering on this--different seas, different goals, near as I can tell--so I likewise don't rightly know they could have the same said of them. But I don't mean to speak ill of strangers. I'm sure they'll guard it well.

Just, if you want to take the precaution. And trap it.

[hornswoggle]

[ stares very intensely at max ]

Are any of the items themselves dangerous? Or is the danger mainly that it would be regrettable if we were to be caught with any of it?

[exequy]

Some of both. Primarily the former.

[hornswoggle]

I see.

[ not unexpected tbh. ]

You've heard what Max is proposing in exchange. Would that be possible?

[exequy]

That depends on the details. When, how. Whether you are asking us to leave without the Inquisition's permission to wage a private war elsewhere.

Did you leave people behind?

[katabasis]

[also staring very pointedly at Max]

How much is there to be moved?

action spaM

[hornswoggle]

It's not a bad idea.

[ js ]

[katabasis]

[Cue one skeptical glance.]

It's certainly an idea.

[hornswoggle]

Do you have a better one?

[exequy]

You have seen the library here.

[ Probably? Do pirates go to libraries? ]

Optimistically— [ gross ] —we could collect from four Circles before we would need to transport what we had.

[katabasis]

And how are you supposing you'll go about this [hm] collecting?

[exequy]

The simplest way would be to empty the Circles along the coast. If we can afford what you would ask for that. Otherwise—we will do what we can.

[sclavus]

[ he's sat back a while here, listening to the other conversations, but it's max's vane is most immediately interested in. ]

We'd need more than the Inquisition's mage forces alone to recapture and keep Nascere secure.

How many of those looking to make this deal hold positions of power within the Inquisition in Kirkwall?

[exequy]

If we had power here, we would probably just store our books here.

[sclavus]

Fair point.

[ which makes this less of an option. max has a good thought, but while one island may not mean much to Corypheus now, having a rebel base so close to Tevinter is like Russia putting missiles in Cuba. Pretend Vane knows anything about the Cold War to make this small text make sense, thanks. ]

While what group of you would be our debt for this arrangement may not be enough to retake the island, it could be enough to help us retake some things we left behind in our retreat.

[ you know, boats. and stuff. or people. ]

[faithlikeaseed]

And we might more feasibly offer that sort of help--especially if it can be accomplished through subterfuge rather than a direct assault.

What sort of things would we be retrieving? [And then because he's read way too many adventure novels and at least one jailbreak,] Have you got anyone still on the inside?