SUBJECT: Elven outreach in the Silent Plains
PARTICIPANTS: Jayce, Xiomara, Desidério, and Nina
CLASSIFICATION: Public, presented to the leadership of Riftwatch and the March during their time in the Silent Plains
DATE FILED: Firstfall, shortly after returning to the March's camp
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: A small team, made of Riftwatch and The People of the Silent Plains, attempted to locate a clan of Dalish that were attacking members of the Exalted March in the Silent Plains. They were met with warning arrows, but no Dalish. They did find a sand aravel and hijacked it via griffon theft auto to prove the presence of elves besides the People.

REPORT:( Read more... )

NEXT STEPS: Continue to foster a positive relationship between Riftwatch and the People of the Silent Plains. Discourage the March from expending resources to hunt down elusive elves. Do whatever with the aravel (e.g. turn it over to the March to utilize if/as they wish, give it to Xiomara and/or Desidério to fly around, other).

NOTES & LINKS: OOC info, IC log.

SUBJECT: Tevinter Outreach in the Silent Plains
PARTICIPANTS: Bastien, Benedict Artemaeus, Nina Zenik
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: Wintermarch 9:50
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: A small Riftwatch team traveled to Tevinter villages near the front to get a read on the atmospheres and likelihood of peaceful surrender. Aside from a brief violent interlude in a roadside inn and some fear among the Tevinter locals that the Exalted March would lay waste to their towns rather than accept a surrender, it went fine.

REPORT:

Esteemed Ambassador & Company,

While visiting the Exalted March our exploration of the surrounding Tevinter territory went fairly well. There was an incident with apparent Venatori (or Tevinter patriots only, who can tell) tailing us to an inn, or coincidentally winding up at the same inn in the middle of nowhere, but Monsieur Artemaeus and Mademoiselle Zenik were very competent (and I kept up) and we did not leave behind a mess. We did leave behind witnesses, the innkeepers and their son, but whether they would keep quiet or tell the Tevinters to preserve their own lives did not seem to matter. Tevinter knew we were there.

The general sense in the villages is what you what expect. In the smaller ones in particular, the villagers feel disconnected from Minrathous and do not care about who rules them so much as surviving to be ruled by anyone. The larger towns have stronger ties to the capital. In all places we noted a fear among the Tevinters that it would not matter whether they surrendered or not as they had heard reports, some credible and some clearly exaggerated, of the Exalted March destroying homes and executing civilians regardless of how they responded to the incursion. One leader in Capena also seemed to be having success fear-mongering over what would happen to their children under the Southern Chantry should they reveal magic. Artemaeus has explained that in Tevinter the lower classes hope for mage children to elevate their families' statuses, and it is a common and widely publicized occurrence, so even families with no sign of magic in their blood might feel like any given child could be the one. Any attempt to turn the Tevinter populace against the regime in Minrathous will need to keep that in mind.

To whatever extent the rumors of the Exalted March razing villages and killing noncombatants are true, it seems impossible that the Chantry does not already know, so in my opinion informing them would not do much more than make it awkward while they lie to us about it. But it does seem like we should do something, especially if we intend to continue assisting them. It is not something I would like to die knowing I enabled.

Humbly,

Bastien

NEXT STEPS: Decide what (if anything) to do about the war crimes, contemplate how to address Tevinter concerns about how the South will treat their baby mages if they surrender/lose, etc.

NOTES & LINKS: OOC info, IC log.

Hey. Jayce Talis here. In Research. I was, um… one of the casualties in Granitefell. I want to thank all of those involved in rewinding time and giving us another chance. What you’ve done is nothing short of incredible. So… thank you.

[ A brief pause. Then, a little cautiously, ]

…because of what happened, I’d like to learn the basics of combat—if anyone is willing to teach it to me. I’m… I’m a metalsmith. I can swing a hammer, if that helps? I’m not looking for a fight. I just… need to learn how to defend myself.

[ More effectively. ]

Hello, hello. This is Nina Zenik. I'm a Rifter, all of that, haven't met too many of you yet, so on and so on. Anyway -

I wanted to mention to anyone who's struggling with it - because it does seem like a lot of people struggle with it - I can help with sleep. Nightmares a bit, too - not in the sense that I can stop them from happening, of course, but more in the sense that if you're in a deep enough sleep you don't generally remember what you dreamed about. So if anyone's struggling with, oh, having their teeth fall out, or needing to pack up for a sea voyage but the ship leaves in an hour and for some reason you haven't even started and you go incredibly slowly, or Kaschei is stalking you through the shadows -

[ And while she's mentioning it - ]

It is strange how we all have dreams about the same things, no matter where we come from, right? Except for - Isn't there someone here in Thedas who doesn't dream? Don't dwarves not dream? I feel like I came across that in a book the other day, but maybe I just dreamt it. Who knows. Anyway.

I always knew I was someone's dream girl, but I never thought it would be quite this literal.

[ The voice on the crystal is cheerful and warm. Her accent is Kirkwall-neutral - she sounds like a local - but from her words, it's clear enough she's a Rifter. ]

I don't suppose anyone else here is the, oh, product of some dreamer from Ketterdam, are they? Or the Wandering Isle? Ravka? [ That one's slipped in there completely neutrally, like it has no more meaning to her than any of the other lands. ] Novyi Zem? It's all right if not; I won't think any less of you. Really, I may well think better of you for it.

And if you're not from any of those places, then I'd like very much to know where you are from. And what I should eat if I ever go visit. Oh, and I wouldn't mind learning a few swear words, while you're at it.