rest, my brother, and tell me all about the ocean

[extramural]

FORM: Sending crystal.
SENDER: The Outsider
RECIPIENT: everyone
WHAT: Poking the hornets nest.
WHEN: Nowish?
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: He creepy.

What a tumultuous time it is in this world. An empire at war, ancient protectors showing what many feel to be their true colors, strangers falling from the sky -- the more things change, the more they stay the same.

I am not of this world, though it bares similarities to my own -- namely a prominent disdain for the other and ridiculous class differences -- as much it it shows its differences. Empires rise and fall; I admittedly have little interest in wars that have played out hundreds of times in similar ways across hundreds of worlds.

However, I do want to know what you find interesting about this world, if you will share.

Comments

[foxsays]

We use the wind and the waves to power so many things that we use though I do not speak of this after the incident I mentioned to you. And after the debacle in the Fallow Mire - a festering bog - they could certainly do with magic to keep the food. But they have had so many wars and so many Blights on and on and on...a very deep rut. It must go near to the core of this place.

[Speaking of cutting to the core…] You did? [A beat.] In the Approach or in the Fade in the Approach? Or both?

[extramural]

They use whale oil, in the Isles. I would- rather they did not follow suit, here. [ WHALES :C ] I wonder if those in the north, in the land called Tevinter, use magic for such things. It seems to be less of an issue, there.

The Approach itself. We watched a dragon. [ He likes her A+ choice Araceli. ]

[foxsays]

[The gasp is high, almost pained, Outsider no, why would you tell her this?] People would dare to do such a terrible thing? Where I come from, pirates called the Sons of the Sea see it as part of their duty to watch over the whales so none may hunt them unless our nation might starve entirely. [Hang on, she needs a little moment to compose herself, she never expected to hear something so upsetting about whales while she was in Thedas.] I think when they have access to slaves, they might use their magic for different pursuits

[Matching dragon's teeth necklaces yo, she's a catch.] Why am I not surprised, she fought one before and I think she wanted to go fight that one too.

[extramural]

[ because someone else needs to be upset about it!!! ]

They believe them to be no more than mindless beasts, vicious and cruel. In truth, they show their true selves in their belief. Those that put forth other opinions are ridiculed. They have forgotten, in these years, and their hatred of magic drives them ever closer to the end. "When the last leviathan is gone, darkness will fall."

[ WERE THEY TALKING ABOUT OTHER THINGS EVERYTHING IS WHALES and also dragons ]

It was quite the sight. There are similar creatures in my world, considered legends by the uninformed.

[foxsays]

I could understand them thinking that of sharks. We treat them with healthy respect but whales are intelligent, caring, wise. But my countrymen and I have long been ridiculed by those from other lands for our beliefs about the sea and our love for it and all things dwelling in it, as well as our ways though they dare not cross our Sons. [The Sons brought the peace. It's a strange thing, to owe the peace in your world to pirates, but how it hurts her heart, to think of dead whales.] I shouldn't be surprised that people rush towards their doom elsewhere, they seem quick enough to do it here too.

[Last time a whale washed ashore her father was one of the few with dice made from the teeth, long before she was born, and he kept a set for a child in case he had one that she carries now. LOOK SHE UNDERSTANDS SHE HAS A BADASS WHALE TATTOO BRO.]

Dragons are only stories where I come from too, well dragons like that. Did she show you her dragon tooth?

[extramural]

A convenient lie so that they do not have to look at what they sow as they kill them ever more. If they killed them first, perhaps it would not be so bad -- but they are greedy, cruel, and the whale lives as they harvest the oil from its flesh.

[ People suck, that is the moral of this story. ]

She did not, no.

[foxsays]

[There's a very ugly curse in her native tongue right there, angry and hurt followed by silence.] How can people be so terrible? We never take more from the sea than we need to survive, and when my people die our bodies are returned to the sea that fed us to feed it too. To do that...to do that to a whale--

[Outsider she can't even breathe she's so upset.]

Korrin's people have a tradition where half a dragon's tooth is split between a person and their beloved, so that they're together no matter how far apart they are. We share a half.

[extramural]

They do not even use all of the carcass, when it is done. Whale oil is collected, and some meat is taken, as with some fat -- but the bones, the hide, so much is thrown out. Wasted, littering the shore.

[ :c he knows Araceli he knows ]

Why a dragon?

[foxsays]

[From near the crystal is a quiet huffing sound; her fox when he hops up to see why she's so sad, cuddling close to her.] When Sons, pirates or other Castilean sailors find those who hunt whales, they rarely show them mercy. I can only imagine the things they would do to such people. Use their bones, their hide, all their flesh and their teeth - we use as much as we can, we waste so little. Everything is used again. I hope someone makes them pay.

[At least she finds her anger after the tears, bright and hot, her hands curling into fists.]

You'd need to ask Korrin for the whole explanation, it was mostly about the necklace and we got very sidetracked after she gave it to me obviously. [Or it's obvious to her.] Their name for dragons is Ataashi, the glorious ones. I think it's a big deal for them, she almost didn't hear me when we were watching that one in the Approach showing off.

[extramural]

They will bring it on themselves, if it has not come to them already. The capitol of the Empire is besieged by a plague brought in by one sworn to protect it; there are those who work on cures, preventative measures, but there are bodies in the streets and bodies bobbing in the rivers.

[ also Granny Rags has probably made more than one whaler into soup ]

Perhaps as revered to them as the whales are to us. They are certainly striking creatures, dragons.

[foxsays]

Someone knowingly brought in a plague? We have few streets so if we had a plague...it would spread through our islands in a matter of weeks.

[Granny no. But then those gentleman callers were assholes.]

A whale won't fly down and bite your head off or roast you though, and well, some of the dragons were worshipped by a place called Tevinter and called Old Gods, then when their Maker became angry with the magisters for daring to breach his golden city [there's a heavy air of allegedly hanging on her words, he can probably feel the air quotations] they were tainted along with the magisters to become Archdemons.

[extramural]

With the rather explicit intention to kill the lower class, with no thought to the consequences.

[ everyone is assholes in Dishonored ]

They might, should you believe the tales of whalers in my world. [ Said, of course, with a scoff. Time to refocus on dragons. ] Tainted as the things called Darkspawn are?

[foxsays]

Because how dare we exist unless we're making their lives simpler for them, and even then, still how dare we.

[Let her roll her eyes out of her head and down the mountain.]

Yes. One of the Wardens here told me that the darkspawn spend their time in the Deep Roads looking for the archdemons, and that when they lead them out of the Deep Roads, a Blight starts.

[extramural]

He was foolish.

[ to say the least ]

How odd. I imagine no one knows very much about them.

[foxsays]

I find that on the whole men generally are, especially when they let money, and rank, and titles go to their heads.

[What need does she have of a man, she asks the world this often, she only needs her dad and Lux, the only dudes never to let her down.]

They Grey Wardens would but they can be a secretive group, however Kaisa Daesun was good enough to tell me a great deal. That is how it goes when you have a certain face and assets. I can tell you all that she told me though and introduce you. My studies mean I have to look at almost everything, you can always come find me and keep me company, it does get very dull.

[extramural]

Men like that very nearly destroyed Dunwall. If it will recover remains to be seen.

[ basically: y u p ]

I would enjoy learning, certainly. [ He does not have those assets. Thank god. Still, it's odd to have to rely on conversation and other people when before he could just look and know. ] Where do you tend to work?

[foxsays]

I work in either of the libraries; the main one in the rotunda has better lighting and more space but it's busier, though you are free to come to the room I share with Korrin if you'd prefer privacy since I work there too when I want total peace and quiet.

[extramural]

[ well now he's just going to pop in there randomly, gj Araceli ]

Which room would that be?

[foxsays]

[Outsider no.]

Private rooms towards the back of the hold, the one with the blue seashell painted on the door.

[extramural]

[ Outsider yes. ]

I will remember.

I would invite the two of you to come and visit me, as well, but I do not have anywhere half so permanent where I can be found.