crystal; jealousy and torment consumed them all

[aberratic]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Ennaris Tavane ( aberratic )
RECIPIENT: Everyone
NOTES: The start of the Chantry visitors plot! Anyone in diplomacy can answer questions in the comments based on that plot write-up.

Riftwatch, hello. I have an announcement as a representative of Diplomacy that affects us all, so please listen carefully.

[ while she's usually relatively chipper, or at least positive on the crystals, today ness sounds serious. one might say dour, even. ]

As you know, there have been some unsavoury rumours spread about our organization in recent months. There's no truth to them, of course, and the continent should have larger things to concern themselves with than baseless gossip spurred by poorly-researched fiction about a group as small as ours... but as we also know, common sense is in short supply these days. The Divine herself seems to have expressed concerns about our activities, and this has put us in a... very difficult position.

[ a deep, deep sigh; it seems that a difficult position may be something of an understatement. ]

I'll not beat around the bush. We have been strongly encouraged to accept a group of Chantry-affiliated guests for a long-term visit. The text of this visit is that these guests will be able to observe and report to the faithful as well as the Divine that Monsieur Ouebbre's imagination got away from him, and the play was merely an exaggerated flight of fancy. The subtext was that if we do not accept these guests, we are confirming we have something to hide, and the Divine may be persuaded to focus more of her attention on us. It is thus unfortunately better in the long-term to accept these guests than to risk disruptions to our war efforts.

There will be three guests joining us: a templar, a Sister, and a Brother, who will each be arriving separately in the next few weeks. Diplomacy will provide more information as we are able, and if you have any questions, we will be answering them to the best of our ability.

This will be a temporary measure, I assure you all. Thank you for your understanding.

Comments

[cozen]

Whatever we do need to hide, you can give to me.

Unless it is haunted or going to blow up my house.

[aberratic]

And you will, of course, only be looking at what is given to you as much as is necessary to safely hide it away.

[ the vibe continues to vibe, bastien. ]

[cozen]

What, do we have something to hide from me?

[aberratic]

I'm sure you understand that one does not need to have anything to hide in order to value their privacy, you're very perceptive that way.

[cozen]

Eugh, I don't want anyone giving me their personal secrets to hide in my cellar. I do what I do for the joy of it, you know? That would be like trying to play wallop and having the other team toss their mallets on the ground.

I meant the work.

[aberratic]

Ah, my mistake. Désolée, monsieur, to have impugned your professional sensibilities.

[ while this might have been a joke under better circumstances, ness is too exhausted by this whole situation to manage any amount of levity. ]

We will not be issuing these guests sending crystals, nor will they have access to the eluvians, so hiding sensitive items in the floorboards of one of our known agents likely will not be necessary.

[ a beat, and then, realizing how dismissive and dry that sounds— ]

Your willingness to assist is nonetheless appreciated.

[elegiaque]

If anyone wants to speak with me, I’ll be washing my hair.

[aberratic]

It may be a very long bath.

[elegiaque]

I've got a lot of hair.

[armd]

Oh, fuck. Again?

[aberratic]

Unfortunately. I'm looking for any information on the last time they sent anyone to us, I wasn't here at the time. Is there anything in particular you recall about it?

[armd]

Uhhh — yeah, somebody visited... Diplomacy put out this massive thing about what we could and couldn't say. And all the divisions got jobs to do.

[elegiaque]

And we relocated a chunk of the least palatable for the duration.

[armd]

Weren't you in that chunk?

[elegiaque]

I'm extremely unpalatable.

[armd]

We've always said this about you.

[elegiaque]

I know my strengths. Diplomacy isn’t one of them.

[armd]

Same. Should we just go on holiday again...?

[elegiaque]

The thought crossed my mind.

[aberratic]

I'd have thought we're all responsible enough to know what not to say, [ but even as she says it ness realizes that is absolutely not true, and diplomacy has even more work to do... yaaaay... ]

[armd]

Some of us are impulsive. (Whether or not she's including herself in that is... unclear.)

And some of us are still new. (Rifters. The biggest problem, most likely.)

[portalling]

Mother Pleasance, two years back. [ Mind like a steel trap. ] That was our last visitor-slash-supervisor, in case namedropping with the new ones might get us somewhere.

[armd]

Oh yeah.

She was really old.

[portalling]

[ This is actually a fairly serious risk, considering all the alarming rifters and alarming Research experiments they’ve got around the Gallows, but Stephen truly just can’t help himself: ]

Luckily I’m very good at charming Chantry sisters, the more elderly the better —

[ Except for the ones in Cledwyn who hated him but, like, c’mon, that was ages ago. ]

[aberratic]

I believe they plan for it to be a newly ordained Sister, but perhaps she will be susceptible to your charm all the same.

[ and then, privately, because she was just thinking about this, ]

It may be prudent to move your notes on my training onto the houseboat.

private ∞

[portalling]

Hmm. Good point. They’re not exactly strewn about loose in my office, but best to be cautious anyhow.

Are they expecting personal tours?

[aberratic]

Oh, they're not expecting anything, they know we're not beholden to the Chantry, they're only here as observers, honest.

[ if she'd signed up to research instead of diplomacy she wouldn't be dealing with this shit. she'd be developing the strangophone and getting excited with volante about mold colonies. ]

If we gave Pleasance tours, we should do the same for these three. Whatever we did for her, truly—we didn't give her eluvian access, did we? Sending crystals?

[portalling]

Oh, no, both of those are on tight lock. We shouldn’t even mention that we have eluvians. [ That standard operating procedure had been fine by him. Give the church nothing more than the bare minimum, as far as he was concerned. ]

But some tours of our more palatable projects and making ourselves sound like your friendly neighbourhood good Samaritans and defenders of Kirkwall? Certainly.

[interroga]

[ To-the-point: ] I’m newer here. What do you want us to avoid and lean into, with them?

[aberratic]

I wouldn't presume to direct anyone else, as I'm not on the leadership council, [ leaders, cosima, anybody, help— ] but I personally will be avoiding mention of any of my more niche opinions on magic or spirits and such. I'll lean in, on the other hand, to the thing we all have in common: the war, and our commitment to winning it.

[interroga]

Deal.

[ He can spin a whole thing about Tevinter oppression. He’s got those metaphorical flyers in his pocket, anyday. ]

[altusimperius]

[faintly,]

oh no.

[aberratic]

Quite, [ exhaustedly—

but hey, actually, diplomacy buddy, let's take this private. ] We'll have to figure out where to billet them. I don't relish the idea of them in the tower with us, but I can't imagine the Chantry will be pleased if we stick them in the apartments.

[altusimperius]

[a pause as he strategizes,]

I was Chamberlain for a while, when we still need one. [and before I went to the dungeon but u kno] I can whip something up.

[aberratic]

Hmm, [ a thought has occurred—maybe not the brightest thought, but a thought, ] we're suddenly devoid three division heads, and we have these towertop suites with no occupants...

[altusimperius]

[initially he’s on board, but then—]

—we’d be putting them in bed with every sensitive document Riftwatch has seen since we came to Kirkwall. Not sure I’m up to moving all that out and back in.

[thereneverwas]

All in favor of drilling a hole in the ferry they'll be taking over,

[aberratic]

Vandalism of Riftwatch property is perhaps not the most constructive approach to this news.

[ why does she even have to say this, please don't fuck up the ferries?? ]

[thereneverwas]

[no no he's dead serious can't you tell]

It's a nice drill, be a shame to let it go to waste.

[elegiaque]

Show of hands? Aye.

[thereneverwas]

Thank you.

[armd]

Aye.

[wearyallalone]

Do you have the names of the proposed delegates?

[aberratic]

[ there's the sound of shuffling paper, ness looking through her correspondence. ]

It appears that those particulars are still up in the air, a bit, or at least it was in the latest letter. The templar's confirmed, though, a Ser Moira mac an R... Roo-aid? Roid?

[ ruaidh. she is far too tired for this, why are names ]

[thereneverwas]

D'you know that one, Orlov?

[wearyallalone]

No, not personally. Though I suppose any of us could have people in common with her.

[Between the Inquisition and the Exalted March (not to mention the previous war), Templars from disparate places have been thrown together more in the past few years. From her name, Vanya wonders briefly if she knows Bridget; if so, she's likely to be no particular fan of Vanya's as a result, though he assumes that's true of most active duty Templars.]