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

[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.