Coryphriends } Closed

[aventuriere]

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Freddie Durfort-Lacapalette
RECIPIENT: Members of the Corypheus' History project
WHAT: Intro + brainstorming sesh
WHEN: Right now
WHERE: In your ears
NOTES: Threadjacking encouraged! And with this group, probably some kind of terminal sass overdose warning

[ The message begins with the genteel clearing of a throat and then a voice, lightly accented but unmistakably Orlesian. ]

Good evening, all. I do not believe any of us has met in the past, but my name is Frédérique Durfort-Lacapalette, Baroness Haut-Brion, but you may simply call me Freddie, or Lady Freddie if you are the type to insist upon formalities. [ Which would be an absurd thing to say to this particular group, if she'd ever knowingly met any of them before. But she has not, so enjoy laughing behind your hands at the notion. ]

I will be leading this effort to uncover more information regarding our adversary Corypheus, and I am pleased to have your assistance in this endeavor. To begin, I would like you each to introduce yourself, and to share how you came to be assigned to this project, and if you have any particular expertise you believe will be useful to achieving our ends.

And of course, ideas! Should you have any suggestions for how we ought to begin, I would like to hear them. While my research skills are of course formidable, I freely confess to knowing little about our foe in specific, and even were that not so, I believe an open exchange and discussion of ideas is essential to the development and transmission of knowledge.

I look forward to hearing from each of you!

Comments

[alankazam]

I was going through the books in the library, to organize them, [ by size and colour ] So that we can find things more easily.

Wait. Sorry. I was organizing the books to find them more easily, because I couldn't find the flat purple one with the frayed edge that was in Skyhold, and we brought some of the books from Skyhold so it smelled like it should be there. Or at least that if it wasn't there, that they should have their own.

I was looking for the flat purple one because it has a good drawing of gurguts where you can tell what they're supposed to be is mostly water, which I was looking for because —

[ this continues on for several minutes, far past whatever initial reason one looks for gurgut pictures ]

— So he told me I should go ask the bloody Orlesians if I was so set on it, and then I saw the signup list.

[ he sounds faintly pleased at that. almost proud. orlesians! he found them. ]

Oh — right. I'm Alan.

[ hello!! ]

Is he in a book, then? Corypheus?

[byblow]

[ Great. ]

[alankazam]

[ so

happy ]

[aventuriere]

[ Congratulations, Alan, you have achieved a rare feat: Freddie is speechless.

But only briefly, let's not get too excited. ]

Well. You may congratulate yourself, Alan, for you have found the Orlesians. [ Because where Freddie is, the others are too, at least in spirit. ]

He may be in a book, that's one of the things we shall have to sort out. Is organizing the books your job, presently? Or-- something with animals? [ She's guessing. ]

[alankazam]

I thought you were. Is Lacapalette a place?

[ or. the rest of them. barons think they own places, he knows that much. ]

I'm a scout now. I suppose.

[ he sounds a little uncertain about that. ]

[aventuriere]

No, it's just a name, Haut-Brion is the place. [ the place that she totally owns ] You suppose? Do you wish to do something else?

[alankazam]

A place in Orlais,

[ he confirms, slowly working it out. ]

I don't know. I've never been a scout before. They're supposed to find things, aren't they?

[ so he's already doing great ]

[aventuriere]

Indeed. Near the city of Val Foret.

[ Freddie is so nonplussed by all of this. Is this some kind of joke? Has Val signed a child up for her team as a prank? She's read his file but that also read a bit like a prank. ]

I believe finding things would describe many of their duties, yes. And I'm sure skill in finding things will be quite useful in our work here, as there is much information we need to find.

[ Finding reminds her of his comments about the library, and she pauses. Eyes narrow. ]

You have been reorganizing the library? By what system?

[alankazam]

Is that what the other one's named after? The Val that talks on these?

[ perfectly placidly: ]

They're together first by colour, then length, then width, then if there's any damage. Which is a lot.

I tried to separate the leather and the cloth — there are a few where I don't know what's on them. It's easier with the Veil thicker, but there's still too much in the air to tell every scent.

[aventuriere]

Yes, he is actually the long-lost prince Val Foret. It is a sad story, but he pines for the forest of his birth. If you wish to befriend him, I know he would be very grateful to be gifted with anything that might remind him of his lost home. Sacks of pine-needles, perhaps, or small woodland creatures.

[ Pranks on Val helps distract her from getting annoyed about the reorganization and she manages to say, genuinely: ]

That does sound aesthetically satisfying. I am not sure how useful it will be to others, however. Sometimes the same book comes in different sizes and colors in different places-- where are you from, Alan?

[alankazam]

Pines — [ he sounds out. ] — That's very clever.

[ seems legit ]

Not far from Skyhold. It's gone now. If they're shaped differently, you have to read it differently, don't you? That's a different book.

[aventuriere]

Well, the words are the same.

[ Freddie's first reaction is '...no' but she is, for whatever reason, actually trying to be nice. And on further reflection.... ]

I suppose an argument could be made that the presentation is an essential part of the experience of the book, and that the place where one must stop and turn the page determines the flow and pace of reading, which likewise can influence the meaning one takes from the work within. An interesting insight.

Still, would this not be best seen by comparison? If all the different books containing the same work were grouped together regardless of shape and color we could better study their differences.

[alankazam]

I suppose — if everyone already knew what they looked like.

[ he sounds a little doubtful, but. it makes a certain amount of sense. openly curious: ]

Do you really think that would work?

[justice_is_blond]

Is... Corypheus.... in a book.

[He's not trying to mock the question, just trying to repeat it so that somehow it can make sense.]

[alankazam]

Yes. Should we be looking in books?

[justice_is_blond]

I don't know of any books that address him. He's mentioned in Tale of the Champion, but there's so much added detail in everything Varric's written there that he may as well be talking about particularly murderous sheep.

If there's any about Corypheus, it would be Tevine. Can you read that?

[aventuriere]

Alan is quite right not to discount book research. We cannot hope just for explicit mentions of Corypheus but should cast a wide net in search of any hint of our quarry.

And as it happens, my first teaching post at the University was as a tutor in Tevene. It's been many years since that course but I would be happy to assist any who'd care to learn. It will certainly be of use in our work.

[justice_is_blond]

I wasn't discounting book research. The phrasing threw me for a few moments.

I'd like to learn how to read it, actually, beyond a few sparse things here and there.

[aventuriere]

I would be happy to hold a class, for all group members who wish to learn to study together. Send me your schedule and I will pick a time that suits us all.

At what level would you estimate your knowledge is at present? Have you had any formal teaching?

[justice_is_blond]

Felix has begun instructing me, and I can sight-read the Tevene names of most herbs. Beyond that, I can swear fluently.

As far as my schedule goes, [Anders exhales, something that's sigh and laugh both,] I'm one of three Spirit Healers the Inquisition has. I work roughly from just before sunup until dusk, but there's always the possibility of an emergency. It's best if you schedule around the others' schedules and I'll come when I'm not required elsewhere.

[alankazam]

I can't read Tevene, but I think I'd know a sheep.

[ that part's for Anders ]

I'd like to learn. It sounds pretty.

[aventuriere]

As I said to Anders, I'd be happy to organize a small class for group members to learn and study together, working with documents relevant to our project here. If you send me your schedule, I will find a time that suits all involved.

[justice_is_blond]

It all depends on how flowery Varric is feeling. Some of the things he wrote I have to read multiple times before I can figure out what story of ours he's telling.