Trees are jerks

[unbrokenoath]

FORM: Sending Crystal
SENDER: Kaisa
RECIPIENT: People in the Chantry Relations project
WHAT: There's BLOOD MAGIC AFOOT. And it's GROWING PLANTS.
WHEN: Right after this
WHERE: Right smack dab next to what was once the chantry memorial garden
NOTES: Elthina would be rolling in her grave. If she had a grave. And a body that wasn't a fine ash.

Hey guys! Kaisa here. So, uh. Remember how we all agreed on how we ought to work on getting that Chantry memorial garden back up and running? Well, I'm there right now, and we've got a pretty big problem here.

[ A pause, and then helpfully: ]

It's not my fault.

[ Just putting that out there. ]

The entire area where the garden used to be is a forest. Like. A real, honest-to-Andraste forest. It's...actually really pretty? Everything is flowering and it smells really nice. But still. There's a forest here. Right in the middle of Hightown and everything.

I guess it wouldn't be a huge issue, aside from maybe squirrels attacking random nobles--that'd actually be pretty funny--but forests don't just sprout up. I may be a city-slicker, but I can tell you that much. So I poked around, and I believe I found evidence of blood magic being involved.

[ There was a bunch of blood in the middle of a magically created forest. Kaisa does, admittedly, share her religion's intolerant view of blood magic (Warden bullshit aside, that's different), but she's pretty sure that's a solid cause for suspicion. ]

I don't know why someone would use blood magic to grow a forest, but they used blood magic on holy ground--is it still holy ground? I'm not sure about that, but still. You guys get why this might be more of an issue than a few extra trees, right?

Oh, and don't worry, I destroyed the evidence of the blood magic. Figured that's the last thing people around here need.

[ Well, she is a Warden. Suppression of sketchy facts is their MO. ]

Comments

[paladingus]

You got rid of the evidence before any of us could have a look at it?

[Simon's not sure he would have had anything to contribute on the matter of whether this was Definitely Blood Magic or not, but the principle of the thing seems to merit a comment.]

someone start us a swear jar

[limier]

[ breathe. one, two, three: breathe, ]

The only magic I have encountered of a similar nature, [ no pun intended ] has been practiced by Dalish apostates.

[ three guesses where those came from, and the first two don't count. but vines, roots — those are one thing. this is entirely another. she doesn't want to think about the sort of energy involved. ]

If you describe the evidence you encountered, we may all better decide how to proceed. Please keep me appraised of your actions; I am within Orlais through the coming week.

I trust [ hah ] that I needn’t understate the importance of discretion in this matter.

[ if it’s not straight-up human sacrifice, they may not be able to afford to pursue this. neither can it just be ignored. son of a fucking,

b r e a t h e ]

[sulena]

[ WHAT A WAY TO START THE DAY. ]

I worry for the reaction of the Kirkwall people. We did not seek their consul on something that has affected them so deeply and thus the Inquisition, and they will know it to be Inquisition, has decided instead for them. [ And how well will it help their relations with the city? ] They will realize most definitely something realize is amiss for a forest to sprout roots and grow to fruition overnight. Even if they do not assume blood magic, they will suspect magic was involved on what some see as a holy site and the end result of all things evil in magic.

[ There is a long, tired sigh. She works so, so hard. ] I just pray the more fanatical do not burn it.

[ Right, in the meantime though: ]

I will keep an ear to the talk in the alienage and with the elves in Darktown. Some work for the nobles of Hightown too and I might be able to learn a little on what the city might be thinking.

[tactical_alert]

In the future, I ask that you refrain from destroying evidence. [BY ANDRASTE'S GREAT BOUNCING TITS WHAT WERE YOU THINKING] If there might be concern for public panic, guards placed around the area might do some good. [FOR FUCK'S SAKE]

An entire forest can't, of course, be hidden away, but the more we're able to quash the inevitable and immediate rumors of ransacking the alienage and chasing out and burning all the Dalish mages, the better off we will all be.

All that work for a garden, and now we'll have to cut down a bunch of magic-grown trees. A shame, it almost livens up the place.