I have a question for the native mages among us, if you all don't mind!

❰ adalia sounds inquisitive, curious, sort of sing-songy — she's been pondering this for a while, both in general and today specifically. ❱

Would you consider magic something you are, something you have, or something you do? A combination of those? All three? Something I haven't yet considered?

❰ a sound of shifting fabric as she sits up on her bed. ❱

See, I would consider myself magic, innately. I'm a sorcerer where I'm from — we have magic in our blood. I would be considered a mage by Thedosian standards, but to me "mage" is a very broad word. Anyone who does magic could be considered a mage where I'm from, and then there are breakdowns within the broader "mage" classification — there are sorcerers, who are magic innately; wizards, who learn magic through study; warlocks, who are granted power by others — not to mention bards, and those who are given access to divine magics for worshiping their deities.

All of these different classes of mage approach magic in a different way. What is your relationship to magic? Is it part of you, or is it merely a tool? I'm curious.

This is Colin the shopkeep. Now that two separate crises are under control, I have something I want to bring to your attention because I know how good-hearted and generous all of you are, as demonstrated all last month.

It's Darktown. I've been helping Anders in his clinic there, and...I thought I'd seen poverty before. I thought I'd lived it. I thought my family was poor when I was a kid because we didn't have much. We shared a wall with our neighbors and there were seven of us living in two tiny rooms. Sometimes we didn't eat well, but we never starved. Our roof leaked sometimes, but we could fix it and be dry after that. We had a roof and walls and clothes and food. After the, um, the war started a few years back, I went hungry for a while, but my teeth weren't falling out.

People in Darktown don't have walls or a roof. You'd think living under Hightown would mean they have at least a roof, but they don't. On the seaward side, people are exposed to everything--cold, rain, snow, everything. And the muck that leaks down from Hightown is some of the worst stuff you'll ever smell. Most people down there can't work, or can't find work, and they have to live down there with their families because they can't afford rent in Lowtown. They spend day in and day out wading through filth trying to find coins people dropped through grates. That means their feet are constantly wet and cold, and that's bad even in summer. I treated feet what were soaked and pale and cracking, skin sloughing off and frozen in some places. Some of them have to take a cot in the clinic till they get warm and dry, but it'll only happen again after they've left, and on and on till they lose their feet.

And they don't have food, not really. Sometimes they'll get lucky and catch rats or pigeons or seagulls, but otherwise it's whatever they can find what was thrown away or dropped. And yes, their teeth are falling out, some of them. They have scurvy, they have rickets, they can't breathe for the chokedamp. Sometimes you find people who suffocated to death without anyone there to help. By the time a healer gets there, it's too late. And magical healing can't do anything about the damp and the cold and the hunger. It can't cure scurvy or rickets, or fleas and lice, and it's not very useful against frostbite.

If they try to go up to Hightown they'll just be arrested, or worse, escorted back. Everyone thinks they're thieves and carry diseases. There's nowhere for them and nobody wants to help them. And you can see in their eyes that they know that. They have these...hollow, vacant looks. They've given up. They're broken.

I think that this is the kind of thing the Inquisition is meant for, and we need to address it. These people need food, clothing, and shelter. It needs to make a real difference and not just look good. And seeing as we all have different experiences and different expertises--is that the right word?--we all must have something to bring to the table. So I wanted to discuss all of this with all of you and maybe together we can come up with some ideas we can bring to our leaders. So what can we do about Darktown? What are some possible solutions to these problems?

[OOC: for the sake of organization, I'm putting in a few top-levels under which people can make comments about specific concerns. Anything that doesn't fall under these, or any suggestions to improve the overall state of poverty in Darktown, you can make your own top-level for. Threadjack, go crazy, y'all know the drill.]

Alright, so, I know there's a lot of people feeling blue around here, and it doesn't seem like it's getting any better. So, I have an idea: Ideas! I figure it's high time that we all got together with our notes and research and whatnot and start spitballing any suggestions we've come up with so far.

Spit need not be included.

Obviously, we're probably not going to try everything people throw out here, but I figure if we can agree that something's a good idea, it might be worth a shot.

My contribution is: runes! I heard you guys used runes to strengthen the Veil when you got here, which, by the way, thanks, I've seen enough abominations running around here for a while. And there's obviously some connection to the Veil involved, so. Maybe take runes like those and use them on people? I mean, it probably can't hurt them, maybe they'll just be less prone to being possessed. Which is always nice.

[ Beleth's tone is smooth and formal, as composed as it can be, though she can't entirely hide the weariness she's feeling. There's just so much to do--But hopefully, this will help. It feels...weird, to do this without the other leaders.

But. Here she is, doing it anyway. ]

Greetings, Inquisition. This is your Scoutmaster, Beleth Ashara. As you have undoubtedly heard or noticed by this point, it seems that there is a sickness moving throughout our ranks. This is unfortunate, but we've overcome far worse obstacles, and I know that we will do so again, as long as we work together.

In that line of reasoning, I am recommending that for the moment, we set aside the bulk of our projects, and turn our attentions towards the aid of our fellow agents. There are a variety of ways that anyone can help, starting with:

First and foremost, any healers--magically inclined or otherwise--are requested, to focus their attentions on the infirm. Myrobalan Shivana has been kind enough to put together a list of the affected, which will be provided to anyone in this group who wishes it. Your focus will be trying to alleviate the symptoms of the affected, and bring them some measure of comfort, if you can.

I will also need a handful of mages who are skilled in both combative magic and magic nullification, and are comfortable at handling security. Those of you who are interested, please speak to me privately.

The second group will be researchers that work with the healers. As the healers will need to be focused on the act of healing, your job will be to gather the data and study it. Your goal will be to learn if this is spreading, how it might be spread, how it was contracted in the first place, etc.

There will be a second group of researchers to try to learn if such a sickness has occurred before. If you need a list of books or writings or whatever may help, please send the list to me. If this has already happened before, maybe someone has already figured out a cure for it.

For those who are neither healers nor researchers, I have an important task: Making sure that we don't all overwork ourselves into a stupor. Your job will be checking that those of us who are able to sleep are doing so on a regular basis. That includes members of this group--no one is exempt. If you find that someone has been refusing to get rest, then you are encouraged to...encourage them. We will not solve this problem by running ourselves ragged.

And, finally, I will need several people from each division--aside from scouting--who are comfortable handling paperwork, forms, and day to day mundane tasks for each division.

[ Finally, a pause, then she clears her throat. ]

I know this is a lot, and that--especially for our newest arrivals--this might feel overwhelming. But I have faith in all of us. In the Inquisition.

Apparently someone has seen fit to play a prank upon me. When I find out who's responsible, you will regret it... especially if it's you, Anders. [That agitated growl comes into his voice momentarily. Then there's a pause and a long sigh, followed by the sound of vigorous scratching. Though the latter is probably tricky to entirely guess at, it's at least apparent that he's doing something in the background.]

I thought we were all above such behavior. Unless someone can provide a better explanation for this...

[But he doesn't get to elaborate, as he's again too distracted by the incessant itching.]

Good morning, Inquisition.

( It’s early afternoon, easily. She sounds very relaxed, and it would not be inaccurate to imagine her reclining on a sea of cushions and eating chocolate. Her accent is distinctly Antivan, and probably should be accompanied by a montage of vineyards and orange blossom. It’s just the kind of vibe she gives off. )

I wanted to apologise for any inconvenience caused the last few days by my arrival; the family estate in Hightown was not yet ready to receive me, it seems, and so there has been some to-ing and fro-ing. I understand one of the birds caused a little confusion.

( It trapped Finch in a cupboard. ) Please rest assured all the flamingos have been moved for their safety.

( And the safety of the Inquisition. )

I am Lady Marisol of the Houses Vivas and de la Nieve, Asturias and Hierro. ( Merchant Princes, nobility, pirates. You may remember her from such mage empowerment videos as GO REBELS GO and IT’S NOT SMUGGLING, IT’S SPECIALISED TRADE. ) You know, I had planned to be here a little sooner, but the weather in Antiva was so fine. I couldn’t bring much winter sunshine with me, but the Inquisition’s supplies have been replenished a little.

So! Is anyone here from the Rialto Circle? And can anyone explain why it is I should bring ships and staff to an Inquisition that took to destroying the Necropolis? I have some aunts and uncles who are very upset about it.

( She, personally, does not sound seriously concerned, but apparently she doesn’t sound seriously concerned about anything. )