Who'd win in a fight? Outta everyone.

In light of recent events –

[ weird way to say 'thank you for not leaving me in a swamp' but ok ]

I've compiled a list of external healers willing to work with us. They are few, and expensive, and I therefore think it also worth identifying those mages within Riftwatch able to lend emergency aid. If you've facility with regeneration or sedation, we could use the hands.

Contact me directly. I'm not naming anyone without a look at what you can do.

To wit, I'm certain it's time to call for another round of general volunteers. Whether you can stitch a wound, or care to learn, bother Strange about it. He's in charge.

[ air quotes. ]

Good morning. I thought I would share some updates on the state of our reputation.

The best news first: out of twenty-seven mentions in this batch of periodicals, twenty of those referenced us in passing and as if there is nothing strange about us whatsoever. That is an improvement. There was a time half of those would have added, parenthesis, an assortment of demons and heretics, close parenthesis, to make sure their readers could follow their meaning. Now we are simply Riftwatch. They expect people to know what that means — which does not mean no one thinks we are demons and heretics. Of course. But they are being reminded less frequently.

Which does unfortunately lead me to Senior Enchanter Verain, formerly of the Circle in Montsimmard, who published an essay in L'hebdomadaire about the state of Thedas in general and gave us an entire paragraph.

[ He clears his throat and takes on the distinct cadence of a Dramatic Reading. ]

These monstrous threats to our safety and security are nothing new, but I am astonished, dismayed, and confounded by our acceptance of monstrous heroes. Even among my own friends, who I once thought the pinnacle of reason, discernment, and steadfast belief in the tenants of the Chant of Light, and in fact befriended because of these qualities, there are those who are shockingly content to trust the fabric of the Veil to creatures who can be nothing but demons and people who have done nothing but enable them. It is no wonder that our dereliction of our own duty in this matter has led us to this devastating moment of truth, dangling from a precipice by grip of a single finger as the Veil and the entire order of our world unravel and rot before our eyes, but I must nevertheless maintain a desperate hope that we will rise to the occasion and not permit these self-professed saviors and secret saboteurs to deliver the killing blow.

So, [ drama over, ] if everyone could stop acting demonic in public, I would appreciate it. But I do like the part where he wants other people to do anything to help. Maybe we should invite him for dinner or something. Do any of you mages know him? Has he always mixed his metaphors?

Here, this one is better, though. Local. An anonymous gossip pamphlet floating around Hightown this week. It says, To the long list of things for which we owe Riftwatch our gratitude, we must add the facades and physiques of their membership. I find myself making excuses to wander into parts of our city I would normally never be spotted, hoping for a glimpse of young brunette ladies who could so clearly lift me above their heads if given cause — which I am happy to provide if any would like to reach out to my publisher and arrange a rendezvous — and one of my dear friends' desire to train a spyglass on the harbor and search for the dark-haired elven man in their ranks, I believe, is single-handedly keeping a local glassworker in business.

Not everyone has lost sight of what is important in the world, you see.

The rest of these are pretty dull, but I am bookmarking our mentions and filling a shelf in the library in case anyone is curious.

Good morning, Riftwatch.

[Barrow is all business, perhaps in an effort to bulldoze through what’s otherwise an uncomfortable topic:]

Just wanted to give you all fair warning that I’ll be out of commission for an… unknown duration of time— short hopefully— as I work my way off lyrium.

If you have need of anything to do with the training yard or the siege weaponry, you can speak to Jayce Talis in my stead. And I suppose if… you have any logistical questions, you can ask the head healer, Stephen Strange.

[he falls silent a moment, awkwardly unsure if more needs saying, then:]

Um. That’s all.

SUBJECT: Thoris Ferron
PARTICIPANTS: Bastien, Vega Arany
CLASSIFICATION: Public (with access to Scouting Division files)
DATE FILED: Kingsway
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: Bastien and Vega convinced recent Venatori convert Magister Thoris Ferron of the merits of their cause. With murder and blackmail.

REPORT:

Scoutmaster,

Things did not go entirely as planned, but Ferron has agreed to assist us. Some duress was involved. She will have to watched for the usual signs of becoming a triple agent. Maybe if she does we can find something new to blackmail her with and make her a quadruple agent. But at that point I would have to hope she crossed us again because I have never met a quintuple agent and I would like to.

If we do not want to experiment with layers of agent, I have two suggestions offhand. One is finding her a Seheron Sharp-Shinned Sea Hawk egg after all. Your pirate might be in a better position to have an eye out for one than the rest of us. The other is arranging to transfer her allegiance to the Lucerni, who might be able to present themselves as a sympathetic alternative to both the cult and the cruel blackmailers.

Cheers,

Bastien

NEXT STEPS: Make use of her. Maybe shore up her support into something less reliant on threats. Maybe get double or triple crossed sometime.

NOTES & LINKS: OOC info, preliminary conversation, aspirational log.

[ There's a bit of a fumbling noise on the crystal, then the sound of puffing air. Whoever this is is blowing on it, maybe as some sort of test.

Then a voice - one with an accent that's probably unfamiliar to almost everyone here. This woman has a Dwarven accent, all broad vowels and lax consonants, but it's not quite the same as an Orzammar accent. Tevinters might possibly know it as the accent of a dwarf of the Ambassadoria. ]

I want to know. How many of you are doing all of this because you want things to go back to how they all used to be? Restoring order and stability and all of that. The status quo.

[ And then she waits for a response. ]

[Tav takes a deep breath before beginning. His nervousness is palpable, even before he speaks.]

I am pleased to say that, thanks to our research department— specifically Strange and Cosima—, I have been cured of my…. malady. I have passed a month since my curing with no issue.

I can only hope for a second chance to make a better first inpression.

For those that do not know me, I am Tav, a druid and cleric, who splits his time between the infirmary and rebuilding our garden. And, speaking of our garden, if anyone needs any particular seeds collected or grown, feel free to let me know.

[Private to Strange and Cosima]

I believe I owe both of you a drink.

A quick note: we are going to be looking into the allegations that the Chantry's forces were overzealous with civilians in Tevinter. I am coordinating this for now. While we are out and about in Tevinter, if you hear anything about it, let me know. Even if they are only rumors and sound outlandish. And if it does not jeopardize anything else to ask people for more information, then by all means.

If this is something you would like to help more with on an ongoing basis, let me know. We're calling it Project Clothilde.