(no subject)

[katabasis]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Flint
RECIPIENT: Riftwatch
NOTES: World State Update; with thanks to our benevolent overlords, threads on this post count for April AC because March is fake.

We've just received word from the Orlesian front line.

As I'm sure we're all aware, barring the fall of the Val Chevin blockade, there has been little movement from the front over the winter. Overland, the Orlesians have been dug in around Val Royeaux, and the same can said of the enemy force's occupation in Val Chevin, evacuated Montfort, and beyond. That said, it appears [a little arch; Riftwatch has been informed of the fact, not consulted] that with Spring approaching, the bulk of the allied army - including the Orlesian force, the Inquisition, and the scores Divine Beatrix has managed to train over the winter - has begun to make their move.

They mean to retake Montfort then proceed to recapture Ghislain, with the aim being to divide the Tevinter-Ander army and interrupt supply lines between Perendale and Val Chevin. Unsurprsingly, Corypheus' forces have responded in kind and the fighting has presently come to a head southwest of Montfort.

[Dry as kindling:]

If anyone else has exciting new plans for the Spring they'd like to share - re-papering your parlor, or the deployment of the half legion of foot soldiers you've been keeping in your back pocket -, I'm sure we'd all be delighted to hear them.

Comments

[tender]

It's alright.

[ reassuring, in spite of her own deep concern. ]

Do you think it's only because they were trying to leave Skyhold?

[justashotaway]

No. Because they wished to go to Tevinter.

...Who is Calpernia?

[tender]

She's a mage, one who's loyal to Corypheus. I think she is one of the people who controls the Archon in Tevinter for him.

[ a beat ]

Why? Were the people who took those mages talking about her?

[justashotaway]

...Yes. Her.

She wants mages to join her.

[tender]

So the templars took the mages to keep them from joining her and Corypheus in Tevinter.

[ oh no ]

And we don't know where they are now.

[justashotaway]

The templars took some. Others kept going.

And we do not know where any of them are.

[tender]

They might not have reached Calpernia and Corypheus' forces yet. We might be able to intercept them. I don't know about the others. But they don't deserve whatever's happening to them.

[inkindled]

We've got to. And we've got to find the ones that the templars took.

[tender]

We should try to intercept the group before they reach Tevinter first, no?

[ wait ]

If that's what the Commander thinks is best.

[ lame attempt at not fomenting insurrection ]

[justashotaway]

Yes. The Templars will keep the other mages alive if they wish to find the ones who got away.

[That's how this works, right? She doesn't know mage-templar relations nearly so well as she does measuring lives against each other.]

[tender]

Alive, yes. But that doesn't mean they'll be safe. Or that when we find them they'll still be themselves.

[justashotaway]

But they will come back. If the others get to Tevinter, they will not.

...Why would they not be themselves?

flips to private.

[tender]

There's a rite that can be performed on mages. It's called the Rite of Tranquility. It changes them.

the same.

[justashotaway]

How?

[tender]

I don't know. A mage made tranquil might be able to tell you, or someone of the Chantry. I've never been able to ask.

[justashotaway]

No--what does it do?

[tender]

It makes them...flat. It takes their emotions away, and their ability to do magic.

I don't know if we can reverse it. And I don't know if we could track and retrieve those mages at the same time as we try to get the ones traveling to Tevinter back.

[justashotaway]

...Why do they do that?

[inkindled]

[Having, on his own, arrived at what Derrica is implying there--]

Good think we'll have gone to intercept the group before they reach Tevinter first, then. Yeah?

It's a good idea. We have to.

[tender]

We'll have to petition to be able to go after either group.

[inkindled]

We can do that.

[or: not. like do they really have to tho]

S' for a good cause. Hard to say no to.

flips to private.

[tender]

We should speak with Marcus Rowantree. And then we can put it to Commander Flint, and see if he would let us go after them.

[inkindled]

[Once Matthias has recovered, slightly, from hearing Marcus Rowantree mentioned--]

S'ppose doing it the proper way is best. Only what if Flint says no? Not that he's likely to, as it's a good cause, and all--and we'd have Enchanter Rowantree with us as well, I reckon he'll be a bird in the pocket.

[tender]

If he says no, we'll have to make a decision.

[ what happens when you go rogue around here... ]

But we'll make sure he doesn't say no. I don't think he will either. And we'll know better what to say after we've consulted Marcus.

[ very personal, very fast. ]

[inkindled]

[Marcus, jeez! How is he ever going to survive this.]

Yeah. That's good. We'll work it out if it comes to that.

[Thank the Maker for Derrica, honestly.]