crystal.

[elegiaque]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Gwenaëlle Baudin
RECIPIENT: All y'all.
NOTES: There's a new junior dad in town. Tell her all about your sick magic weapons and how buff or noodly your little nerd arms might be. (Happy to do action spam here or in her inbox for any office threads!)

Alright, Riftwatch, I assume I don't need to introduce myself,

( possibly because she hasn't been paying strict attention to recent arrivals, but she is certainly not herself a new face, )

but if you have somehow mistaken my accent for Alexandrie, this is Gwenaëlle Baudin, and if you haven't noticed my taking up the office, I am now your acting Captain of the Watch. ( because they are still pretending that dad might come back (with smokes) and that rowntree's appointment might be temporary. she has already begun studying nevarran, but she isn't all that optimistic about when she's going to need to know it by. ) I've started with inventorying our armoury, and as such I have a couple of requests to make of, primarily, those of you not in Forces. If you are in Forces, I need to know if you possess any personal weaponry of note that we should be taking into account. You can provide details by crystal, book or at my office. If you are not in Forces, I would like to know that, but disclosure is voluntary unless your division head decides to make it mandatory.

( yes, she checked with rowntree before announcing it's mandatory for forces. )

Further, if you are not in Forces, I'd like to have an overview of the combat readiness of our ( nerds ) general non-combatants and what their, your needs are. If you'd like particular training, or if you specifically wouldn't. If you're going to be particularly vulnerable in the sort of emergency we recently experienced, or if it'd be useful for me to be aware that you won't. Again, we can have these conversations by whatever means suits you.

( there's a brief pause. )

And to be clear, I'm not assuming all diplomats and researchers need to be provided personal fainting couches, and you will not be considered clever for getting up in arms about having your toughness questioned. If you would like to be provided a personal fainting couch, ask the Seneschal.

Comments

[rowancrowned]

[ dryly; ] So Riftwatch does have a surfeit of fainting couches?

[elegiaque]

( there is a very long pause. )

Riftwatch doesn't have a surfeit of walls, currently, you may have noticed. Is—

( she doesn't finish that sentence. is she being fucked with. )

[dissolving]

You do any classes on marksmanship?

[ a crossbow will be on the list he leaves at her office. it hasn't seen much use. ]

Any rate - know 's not the best circumstances. Thanks for stepping up.

[elegiaque]

I can do if you're interested.

( she'd wanted to take the temperature, figure out what's in demand and how much, before she starts figuring out how to manage it. )

And— ouais. Well, in a roundabout sort of way, it was Abby's idea.

private.

[cozen]

Byerly and I have a dozen blades and a few bows between us in the house. I would not say we are particular vulnerable. But if you manage to come up with some kind of training for what to do when the city is falling on your head, I will come.

private ∞

[elegiaque]

I'm intending to track who lives where, within and without the Gallows, so in the event the sky starts falling again we have a rough map of personnel to start with— there was that, largely, already, but with the towers as they are so much has changed and I suspect more are going to turn city-wards, too.

Maybe designated mustering areas on the city side of the harbour, if there are enough to warrant. I'm thinking out loud— but, merci.

[atonally]

[ Congratulations to Gwenaëlle, who Redvers will for the time being from take orders from much more agreeably than Marcus. ]

I brought my own equipment. I don’t know if it’s notable.

[elegiaque]

Broadly, I'd love to know if anyone has enchanted weaponry of their own — I've picked up some interesting things in the past few years, myself — but to be honest, it'd also just be good to have an idea of what specifically you fight with. Sword? Hammer? Carry a shield?

( redvers, why do you have to be a chantry templar when you're sooooo hot. )

If we're low options that no one's going to need anyway, I care less, for instance, but if we might need a back up and we don't have any, I can go make that someone's problem.

[laruetheday]

I have Maimer.

Congratulations, also. Don't work us too hard.

[elegiaque]

Merci; if I do, you can blame Abby. And, love the name. That's your spear, right?

( weapons with names are the best ones. )

[pathlit]

Member of not-in-Forces checking in. Decent enough in defensive combat. Decidedly lacking in the "leaping from mount-to-mount during aerial combat" skillset. [ One can hear the wry smile behind this statement. ] Mace, filched from the Venatori. It packs a wallop against Fade creatures. I've managed a shield with my anchor, but it's humble. Uggie helps me stay alive.

[ He doesn't mention armor because he doesn't really have anything dedicated. A few Venatori pieces, also filched from the battlefield, meant to be melt down at some point that simply hasn't happened yet. ]

[elegiaque]

( there's a sort of tension-release in the laugh he prompts — maybe she is never going to hear the end of that day, at least until she does something crazier — that has more to do with an entirely different conversation than what he says. it's a bit of a relief. she still sounds warm, answering, )

Carsus proposed some dedicated practise at that, so it's on the table if you decide I didn't shave enough years off your lifespan already.

Do you know the specifics of the mace, or could you tell me a little about what you've observed, otherwise?

( she's familiar enough with the anchor abilities to be satisfied with only making a note of that one. no follow up questions required. )

[grindset]

I would not. Specifically.

[This could have been private, yes, but—]

[elegiaque]

( but it didn't have to be, so: )

I think there are plenty of more useful things you, specifically, could be doing with your time, ( is a bit wry, the sound of quill-pen scratching somewhere on the floor of her office as she makes notes on separate lists. ) Merci; I want to have a working knowledge of who I need to account for and in what ways.

private b/c bad enough to have to say words out loud;

[sumptus]

That happen often? The sort of emergency you recently experienced.

private ∞

[elegiaque]

Not every other week, but we're in a war.

( so. yeah. )

We're actively and regularly fucking with people who are massively more resourced than we are and are motivated to crush us because we keep flicking their dicks.

private;

[wythersake]

[ a pity that she's more difficult to rile these days. there's so much less to observe. but it does means that he responds after a length of time that's not so lengthy as it might have been, ]

My staff is enchanted for flame. Nothing terribly powerful or precise, but it does in a pinch.

[ he has very much burned down a bridge ]

I’ve been borrowing one of the Venatori remnants for practice. Do you expect the appointment to alter your work with the Infirmary?

private ∞

[elegiaque]

How are you with it if you can't cast?

( she sounds so polite, almost like she isn't assuming the answer is a huge weenie. )

And— no, not substantially. I'll have a bit less time to spare than I did before, but it was already not my primary focus, so. I'll still be there.

private

[sprent]

(Matter-of-fact:) I do not know how to fight and don't wish to learn.

But — Ellie was teaching me how to use the knife that I carry, just in case. I think I should try to continue that.

private ∞

[elegiaque]

( a thoughtful hum— )

If it's something that you want to do, I'm happy to help you with it.

[favoriteanalyst]

Nothing of note. [He presumes she means something less than bog standard. Still, he might as well toss in his account for completion's sake.] Got my own sword and shield, though I borrow lighter shields when we do lots of on foot travel or don't expect heavy resistance. Not much practice with other weapons, though I might be able to heft something that needs two hands well enough. [Thanks, Barrow. Also, like, better with practice so he can muscle memory his hands. Nobody wants a greatsword to go flying because his grip wasn't strong enough.] Some of my own armor. Nothing enchanted. [Imagine how that would go.

He makes no mention of the weapon of sorts in the palm of his hand. Frankly, he's not actually sure that counts.]

I'd like to think I'm fairly combat ready. [The wry smile can be heard in his voice.]

[elegiaque]

( it's all useful information and she makes note of it— )

I bet. And your hand situation, how is that?

( no wonder she and stephen get on so well— the question isn't pointed or a criticism, just a briskly matter of fact query in search of information, skipping the part where someone with better bedside manner might have found a more sensitive way to approach it.

but he sort of doesn't seem like the kind of guy who needs to be pussyfooted around. she wants to know what she needs to factor in, professionally. )

[thereneverwas]

No weaponry of note [just, you know, Templar abilities], but always happy to oversee the training of non-magical combat.

[elegiaque]

( gwenaëlle spares everyone, with barrow and mobius both, her opinions on templar abilities and riftwatch— )

We've got plenty of demand for it.

[succise]

I have a bow, and a staff.

I would be willing to share my expertise in using either.

[elegiaque]

I didn't know you were proficient with the bow, Vega, ( carries a brief hint of approval. ) Carsus is looking for tips on marksmanship, we can make an afternoon of sharing cross-disciplinary knowledge.

[charmoffensive]

I've a pretty sword.

[ Ha ha. She knows. ]

Nothing too special, save for how very talented I am with it. Where does one get weapons of note around here?

[ And if he's been listening to the goings on, but you know, business first. ]

[elegiaque]

I'll miss you, if you die, but I'm having that sword,

( is probably not, like, an official position of the riftwatch captaincy, or whatever. )

and I can say it's varied, rather. Had a minor religious experience for my bow. I've got a spare, which Iorveth won at the Grand Tourney, and I picked up the runes for my daggers in the field. The blades themselves I just bought, though, nothing exciting there.

open > private

[wearyallalone]

My weapons are all unremarkable, but my armor has some basic defensive enchantment, if you need to note it.

[Private for the personal addition:]

My congratulations. Or potentially condolences, if you feel it's more appropriate given how thin we're stretched.

private ∞

[elegiaque]

I try not to think of us as inherently doomed as much as possible.