crystal

[stickandstring]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Kate Bishop
RECIPIENT: All
NOTES: In addition to a general intro, this is a sort of IC recruitment/sign-up for a very small player plot I'm aiming to run in the next few weeks. But interest in that is not required to tag in here!

Hello, Riftwatch. I'm Kate Bishop, Grey Warden, Inquisition ally, archer extraordinaire, and recent re-discoverer of some very historic documents now in the possession of a pair of dwarves and their mage friend who I'm pretty sure is Venatori. Since I'm told that's the sort of thing you all dabble in, I thought some of you might be interested in accompanying me to retrieve them to see what all the fuss is about.

Also if somebody wanted to point me toward any of the other Wardens around here, I'd appreciate it. I know Alistair is here, but not sure about who else. Is there a club house these days or a special table in the dining hall or something? Secret crystal chat password I should know?

Comments

[illithidnapped]

[Hm.]

Item retrieval happens to be one of my deepest strengths, and I'd be happy to lend a hand in return for...well, whatever it is you're no doubt offering as payment for this little venture.

[stickandstring]

[ No doubt. ]

The satisfaction of having selflessly assisted a stranger?

[illithidnapped]

Ugh. [Disgusting.]

You could've said you had no money and it'd be a more tempting proposition than that.

[stickandstring]

In that case: good news! I have no money.

[illithidnapped]

Are all Grey Wardens poor as dirt, or is it just Riftwatch's luck that we seem to be consistently snagging the least of the least?

—no offense, darling.

[stickandstring]

Pretty much all of us. [ No offense seemingly taken. ] The top brass back in Weisshaupt probably have some nice Vint kickbacks coming their way but otherwise turns out there's not a lot of coin in traipsing around underground killing monsters. Who knew?

[illithidnapped]

...pity. Where I'm from that sort of heroism is enthusiastically celebrated.

Granted, not by me, but by plenty of other people.

[Still:]

What if the mage they're with isn't Venatori? And what are these documents you're after? If you can't offer up a reward, you can at least fill in the details. Sweeten the deal, as it were.

[notathreat]

Hey, I'm Ellie. And yes, Astarion's always like this.

[stickandstring]

Is that this guy? Thanks for filling in the intro.

Surprised he's stuck around. Unless Alistair's been spinning me a load of bull, selflessly underpaid heroism is kind of the aim here, right?

[illithidnapped]

I can hear you, you know.

[stickandstring]

Fair question. They're Warden documents from the Second Blight. I didn't get a chance to read them much closer than that, but somebody interested in stealing seven hundred year old papers begs some questions, I say.

And I'm pretty sure he's Venatori but if not he's still a rogue mage robbing people on the road. Not very polite.

[notathreat]

That's the guy. [Cheerfully.]

And yeah, kinda. That and making sure that the anchors don't eat our limbs, and the dude with the army of the damned doesn't devour the world.

[There's some overlap.]

[notathreat]

Am I wrong?

[illithidnapped]

Oh. Yes.

Terrible, that. [Says Astarion, resident thief, in the most unconvincingly faux-sympathetic voice imaginable. You’d think he’d be better at this.]

But all right. Fine. In the spirit of camaraderie— and keeping potentially valuable relics out of potentially Venatori hands— if you need a deft set of fingers, you know where to find me. [Now that Ellie’s gone and given up his name, anyway.]

[illithidnapped]

Well you—

[He scoffs— puffs— ]

That’s beside the damned point.

[voidtransport]

What's on those documents, ancient forbidden knowledge that could greatly improve and/or completely this world? [He tries to joke, but the allure of secret texts... It gets him every time.]

Sounds important if you need to organize a counter-heist.

[stickandstring]

I was counting Corypheus as underpaid heroism but I guess it's not exactly selfless since it's our world he's devouring. Or at least the world we're in, for those rifter types I've heard so much about.

[stickandstring]

So you're a thief? That's what I'm getting from the whole tone and the "deft fingers" thing. Let me guess, you're the sort of fancy cat burglar who likes to say he's just liberating art from the unworthy or something like that?

[illithidnapped]

Ahah. Nothing so grand. Still, flattering you think so, I suppose.

[His voice is lilting, aristocratic even. She’s not wrong for assuming he aims for only the highest of targets.

In truth, if this weren’t Thedas, he would be.]

No, my dear. I’m much more than a thief. But I’ve a talent for subterfuge and subtlety, poisons and— ensuring silence, shall we say.

All I want is to survive. And since I’m not part of your pretty little world, I need a great deal to get by.

You can owe me.

[stickandstring]

Probably not. But if the Venatori are interested in them, then so am I. Can't hurt to get an idea what they're after.

[stickandstring]

Rifter assassin, got it. And I'd appreciate the help but I'm going to have to pass on owing you one--this isn't a personal favor, it's a job in support of the war effort. We can call it the survival effort if that feels better.

[notathreat]

That'd be me. One of those Rifter types. And as long as I'm here I'd like to prevent the apocalypse, y'know?

I don't know about it being heroic or anything, but I can help.

[Quick pause.]

So... how'd you get away from the Venatori alive?

[notathreat]

You want me talking you up on the crystals?

[stickandstring]

A magician never reveals her secrets.

[ A beat. ]

I played dead and they were too busy bickering to check.

[illithidnapped]

...mph.

Well aren’t you a shrewd thing.

[Now he’s just going to keep pressing. Petty, thy name is...well, it’s Astarion. Just Astarion.]

How about we settle on friendship? The promise that this might bring us closer together— inspire a bond of sorts?