[ Since Minrathous fell, Max has remained safe only because she has remained secret, holed away in a Tevene cellar with too much wine she can't drink and a sending crystal she dares not use, at least not when her rescuer is within earshot. Her gratitude extends only so far toward trust. She listens when she can, she'd spoken to John if only to tether herself to something solid again, but she hasn't let her voice across the crystal network -- until now. ]

Are all of the sending crystals accounted for?

[ She sounds a tad stressed. It's possible they won't know. Or can't know. She doesn't have time for either of those answers. ]

To the best of our knowledge -- have the crystals belonging to those who did not escape the city been destroyed?

I have news from the north. [ The important sort. The sort that will be made useless or worse, should the wrong ears overhear it. ] There is not much time.

Those on the Galicia saw it first hand, but to those on the Walrus, the Venatori abroad the warship pursuing us have made us an offer of safe passage in exchange for the currently incapacitated Archon Radonis, who is aboard.

I would hope [ thranduil’s voice low and dangerous. ] that no one need reminding that the Venatori are liars and their promises worth nothing.

[ but there’s one in every batch who might think first of saving their own skin, and that’s why thranduil is hanging out with the (unconscious) radonis and his friend, a knife. ]

And I would think that we would far prefer to strike fear into the hearts of the Venatori after the ordeal we were put through in Minrathous, with some of our comrades still missing and presumed captured, rather than simper and beg their mercy.

[ Beleth's voice is weary, tired but determined. This is a whole lot of shit going on at once, but it's her job to deal with information, and that's what she's doing. ]

Greetings, agents of the Inquisition. I know that current events have been...very chaotic, and especially dangerous. There are many things happening all at once, and information has been scattered, when it's available at all.

I understand that these events can feel overwhelming, and out of our control. I want to help by trying to shed as much light on what has happened as possible, in an attempt to help everyone understand and to cease any false rumors.

Several days ago, something happened in Minrathous. We're still trying to figure out how it happened, but the Venatori appear to have seized control of the city. Citizens were urged to remain in their homes--with violence used to coerce them, if necessary. City guards were seen searching for members of the Inquisition, and tried to apprehend anyone that they found.

On top of this, Corypheus came flying in on--on his dragon. [ Is it an archdemon? Did that get decided?? Who cares, it's big, ugly, and dangerous. ] And, um. Raised the palace significantly, before landing there. It seems that he's claimed it for himself at the moment, though he hasn't officially been declared leader.

Luckily, our contacts were able to set up three locations for members of the Inquisition to flee the city, and most of our agents have done so successfully. There are currently three groups from outside the city that are moving to meet up with them, and help them make their way back to the Gallows. I would like to thank everyone who has helped make this possible, and volunteered to aid in whatever way they could.

As of this moment, there are five people that have not been accounted for.

[ There are a few moments of papers shuffling. ]

The five people in question are:
Warden Kain Ventfort
Warden Inessa Serra
Adalia
Max
and...Gareth.
[ who sounds like a loser tbqh ]

This doesn't mean that we should expect the worst, of course. It just means that I haven't been able to confirm their current status. If anyone else has heard from them recently, please let me know as soon as possible, and I'll mark them down.

I would like to note that Ambassador Amsel, Provost Thrandul, and Duke de Coucy have been confirmed to have successfully fled Tevinter, as their status was unknown until recently.

[ Unfortunately they seem to have brought some kind of native tevinter pest along with them. ]

Hello. This is-- Salvio Pizzicagnolo. Seneschal Pizzicagnolo. [And for once he's sounding almost normal. Dare we even say... excited?] Seneschal to the Inquisition's base in Kirkwall and Head of Base Operations.

Recently the Inquisition has come into the possession--or, well, we will come into the possession--of some texts. A result of the negotiations, with the-- [You know what, who cares, the less strikes and mages and rifters and the Chantry are brought into this, the better, all that would only sour the news, and so Salvio revises what he is saying midway through the sentence.] In cataloging and examining the list of texts that will be added to the Inquisition's library, I have discovered an extremely rare text: The Emergent Compendium.

It, um--the text, that is--the text is likely unknown, to most--I have only seen passing reference to it, in other works and--well, to quote Scholar Bodaliere, [and in a voice of one reading right from a page] "the volumes are automatos: new entries appear of their own accord, with no scrivener's quill in sight".

Yes. So. I, I wrote directly to request access to the Compendium, and-- and I have had it for some time now, and--by the Maker, it produces pictures that appear and then disappear, out of nowhere, accessing some--some vast, unseen library, or--ah, and text, it will produce lines of text, obscure in their--well, so, I would invite those who would wish to behold it to do so, but--please, within the office hours of Base Operations, and I would suggest that you wear gloves--

But, um, in addition to viewing the Compendium, I have-- I have taken the liberty of making some... some rudimentary copies of the Compendium. Imitations, I mean. What connects the original to its unseen library or author, I cannot say, so the copies, they-- they are connected to one another instead.

It was, um. Premature, perhaps, uh, presumptuous, but--they seem to be operational. I have tested them. You can write back and forth, as if sending a letter, but much, much quicker. Of course, they are but test copies. They are limited in that they will only function within the walls of the Gallows, once they are outside of the Gallows, the connection severs, and they become as plain writing-books, but--

Um. To those members of the Inquisition that remain in Kirkwall--I, that is, Base Operations, requests your current assistance in the testing of these books. Your assistance will be invaluable in refining this, um, this development in communication, streamlining the process of-- communication.

If you are interested, and are in Kirkwall. Please, the Base Operations office--I mean to say that I will be in the Base Operations office. Handing out these texts.

Yes. So. That will be-- uh. Thank you.

[ waves crashing against hulls and piers is the first sound that makes it to through the crystal, then seagulls, and distantly, men shouting and the bustling of the docks. Charles Vane's voice is a low, gravely thing, sounding exactly like you'd expect a pirate sailor to sound. ]

It's become clear to me that this port city, much as it may have its share of sailors experienced in ferrying merchants to and fro, has very little in the way of true men and women trained for naval war. [ a pause, and a slow exhale, almost weary. ]

Something the Inquisition will desperately need if they intend to reach every corner of this world that Corypheus has tainted.

[ and as fast as the mean to reach it. the venatori are like weeds, sprouting up everywhere they're given space and air. some months ago, Vane might not have cared, but then they took his home, and now he means to burn them out of existence. he hopes this Inquisition intends to do more than just what they're comfortable with to attain that goal. ]

I'm Charles Vane, a captain of Nascere, and I've arrived with a crew of men who've known harsh battle and victory on the seas for an age. If you have it in yourself to attempt to do the same, meet us on the docks, near the galleon flying no nation's flag.

We will see you made battle ready.

Inquisition.

[The voice is hard to place, neither male nor female, lingering oddly over the syllables of the word--considering. An Inquisition, proper noun. What a thing.]

Your cities are infested with beasts. You keep them in comfort and guard jealously their welfare. A caste among you even exists to care for them.

Explain this.

❰ the crystal feed opens up on a feminine voice clearing their throat. ❱

Good afternoon, goodladies and goodsirs of the Inquisition. We hope this message finds you well; we are Adalia and Provost Thranduil, recently returned from Skyhold bearing news of the phylactery negotiations on behalf of the party of ourselves, Cosima Niehaus, Araceli Bonaventura y Castell, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

To start with, Rifters may now rest easy on the question of mandatory phylacteries.

[ thranduil slides in. ]The only cases in which a Rifter will receive a phylactery on a permanent basis are much the same as those for which a mage would: support of Corypheus and his forces, committing a violent crime, or otherwise posing a sustained danger to the Inquisition.

❰ back to adalia. ❱

In addition, there is now the option for any Rifter concerned about their safety while on dangerous missions to have a phylactery made temporarily, so that should the worst come to pass, we may use the phylactery to locate them. This is voluntary, however, and not a requirement.

Happily, we have also made significant strides in our public perception — the Inquisition has agreed to support us as legal people, thereby using the weight of its power to fight for our access to the rights and privileges of all Thedosians. Moreover, the Chantry will make a public announcement in the coming weeks that Rifters are not demons, and we are free to convert as we please. The importance of these gains cannot be overstated, and we are very proud to have been able to deliver them to you.

In exchange for these gains, we have acquiesced to share with the Chantry our research into the nature of rifts and Rifters, as well as registers of those Rifters with magical abilities, and native magics considered unusual by the Chantry. Additionally, Rifters will henceforth be officially considered part and parcel with mages, and will share their fates when the question of Circles must be decided again. It is our desire that Rifters and mages may work together to abolish the Circles, and earn freedom for both groups.

Some of us, [ he says, ] especially the most recently arrived, may not have yet acclimated to the permanence of our situation. May this serve to remind you. Your comrades in the Inquisition are just that. Rifters have already died in the fight against Corypheus, and I am not so naive to think that there will not be more. We are here not until the end of this war but until the end of our lives, and it is time to recognize that although we have had the extraordinary privilege of the Inquisition's patronage, we owe more than just the closing of rifts to Thedas. This is now our home, and we must fight to protect it and its people as we would fight to protect where were born.

❰ slowly, somewhat nervously, as though she’s been surprised by something — ❱

These negotiations were hard-fought, and doggedly so, with steadfast dedication and an eye to the future of both the Inquisition and Rifters' collective wellbeing and successful integration into Thedas. Now, may we return our focus to Corypheus, and ending the threat he poses.

[ an afterthought: ] Those Rifters with questions and concerns are free to come to my office to discuss them.

I found a book in the library, 

[ hello inquisition. the words are distant, drifting; the accent as obviously foreign as it's peculiarly-intoned. think: extremely chill dracula ]

It describes the interpretation of dreams — I don't believe it belonged to the Circle, the author was no mage. 

The perspective is new to me. That a dream of squash might symbolize success is, [ pause ] Unorthodox to my understanding.

I require your assistance: What do you dream of?