A SURVEY

[aventuriere]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Baroness Frédérique Durfort-Lacapalette, Brother Jehan Mercier, and Valentine Nicasius Maxence Mérovée Olivier de Foncé
RECIPIENT: Everyone
WHAT: Important questions
WHEN: Now
WHERE: Everywhere
NOTES: Please threadjack

Inquisition, we have a question for you.

[ DO NOT SILENCE YOUR CRYSTALS. That is an Orlesian voice, but it is not Val de Foncé's voice. Instead, it is the voice of a woman, which makes it immediately superior. You are probably safe. Maybe. Keep listening. ]

You see, we are scholars. The best of scholars! And this Inquisition, it offers the most magnifique opportunities to learn more of this world and we, my friends, we are here to take on that most noble challenge!

We are conducting a study. [ From the tavern. ] Which of Thedas' nations is your favorite? Le plus fantastique? [ A pause, some murmuring reminder while the crystal is covered with a hand. ] You may not say Orlais, and you must explain why, pour l'étude.

[ HERE is Val’s voice. Please keep listening. ]



You may not say Orlais because we already know that it is Orlais. We have been to Orlais, many times. [ A voice cuts in, dry: ] We are even from Orlais, in case you had not guessed. [ From, you know. The really obvious accents. ] For this, we seek other answers. Answers that are more diverse. Perhaps it is better to say second best? Second favorite? With, naturally, Orlais being the favorite. We are, you see, all in disagreement.

It is threatening to tear us apart, when we have only just been brought back together.

Yes, because you are wrong. If you would cease to be so wrong, we would not be torn apart!

No, you are-- Ah, courage, my friends! We must not be torn apart. [ There is some shuffling and oofing. It is possible that arms are being thrown about shoulders and necks are being squeezed. ] Inquisition, we turn to you, on behalf of our reunion, and the great Baroness Haut-Brion.

If you answer our question we will permit you to call her Freddie.

You will permit nothing, but I may permit it, if your answers are particularly clever.

Also, for a bet-- [ Should Chantry Brothers make bets? Shh. Should Chantry Brothers pause while speaking to drink wine? Shhhhh. ] How many times per day is it reasonable to pray? Suppose that you are also reasonably faithful.

Suppose that you are a madman, a holy madman--

And that you desire nothing more than to be Andraste's second husband and like Maferath to be cuckolded by the Maker himself--

[ Should Chantry brothers dump wine over the heads of their friends? Shhhhhhhhh. ]

Comments

[goodforsaken]

I'm not sure "a great deal of character" gives a more favorable impression than "unholy mess," to be honest.

There's a university, that seems worth mentioning. Amongst all those more colorful attributes.

[aventuriere]

Are you a graduate of that institution, sir?

[goodforsaken]

No. [somehow thoughtful and deadpan at the same time : ] Although I think there's a wing of something named after me.

[aventuriere]

Indeed? [ You can almost hear the brow arching. ] And what name might that be?

[goodforsaken]

Alexander Luthor. [ he blithely leaves off 'jr'; you definitely can't hear the beat for daddy issues, except here in these brackets ]

[aventuriere]

Luthor, I have heard that name. Did you publish a paper about the potential for a pan-Thedosian culture?

[goodforsaken]

[ well, this is exciting. really! it's better than being recognized because ~i knew your father~. ]

Yes. And here we are in a conversation about nationalism. That's probably ironic, or some similarly literary word.

[aventuriere]

No doubt. And also fortuitous. Perhaps you could refresh my memory, serah, you argued that unity is not the present, but the necessary future?

[goodforsaken]

Stripped down to essentials, yes. I don't think it takes a particularly clever mind to observe blind devotion to one's country lends its name to some of our [ - sardonic beat for effect - ] current problems.

[ really, what else is corypheus ]

Where did that paper turn up, for curiosity's sake?

[ not here ]

[elegiaque]

( someone is taking notes. please keep talking, people she admires. )

[judgemewhole]

I would think character shows that we are willing to admit our mistakes, own up to them, try to fix them, and come out better for it. Whatever the Free Marches has, we have learned from every single time we have been made into an unholy mess.

The University of Markham -- truly a great administration.

[goodforsaken]

That does sound a great deal kinder than "resistant to change at all costs."

[ so genial. so dry. ]

It's on its way.

[judgemewhole]

If I am not kind, then we be at each other's throats.

[Is his equally dry tone.]

I did a number of my studies there, in my younger initiate years.

[goodforsaken]

Did you, now. I didn't think Templars had the time.

[judgemewhole]

We do when it is part of our training.

[goodforsaken]

What does the university teach that's useful to a Templar? Not how to kill anything, so far as I've noticed.

[judgemewhole]

History. Tactics. Religious studies - Universities have the largest collections of religious scrolls.

[goodforsaken]

Larger than the Chantry? Huh! I thought they taught all of those in Circles, but shows what I know.

[degenere]

Personally, if I were asked to choose between the two, I think I would choose 'unholy mess' over the other. With all goodwill and praise to the Maker, and so on.

[goodforsaken]

A great deal of character does evoke "isn't invited to many parties," a little.

[degenere]

Well, not parties that are any good, at least.

[goodforsaken]

That would explain why Orlais never invites us anywhere anymore.

[ this is probably a metaphor ]

[degenere]

As loath as I am to suggest it: perhaps that is for the best. I wouldn't say that Orlais throws the best parties.

[goodforsaken]

Really! I thought that was some sort of cultural requirement. Along with all the other groupthink you're apparently all beset with.

[ he ...probably really should be more supportive of the other Marcher in this thread, but eh. Instead, sarcasm. ]

[degenere]

No, the groupthink comes of many years of happy friendship. We complete one another, you see. Happy is our harmony, whereas Orlais herself can be so divided. Do not be fooled by this disagreement, it will be easily and lovingly settled.

But the parties. They cannot be very good any longer. I am not there any longer.