Good morning.

( And then silence, because how does one do the thing? )

I am... aware time and resources are pressed, as ever they are. If there are any personnel working in the areas of medicine and physical training who may be willing to work with me then I would be very grateful to speak with you.

Overlong have I been... keeping myself in confinement, and it is a destructive self-indulgence to carry on so. If there are those who do swordwork who might assist with rehabilitation once I am able, please make it known. My independent efforts were considerably less effective than I might have hoped.

( To say the least. )

SUBJECT: REPORT: Better Dead than Red
PARTICIPANTS: Vanya, Valentine, Ellie, Adrasteia, and Thranduil
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: backdated to the return from Orzammar
STATUS: The gang heads into the Deep Roads with a team of dwarven scholars and scientists to survey the extent of red lyrium spread in the mines and install cleansing runes. It all goes exactly according to plan and they don't crash through the floor and get lost and find new enemies.

REPORT: The original assignment was to assist with the evaluation of the spread of red lyrium and the installation of cleansing runes to affected mining areas of the Deep Roads with Shaper Renca Ghoskan and Assistant Chief Miner Artem Ress and several other Orzammar scientists and scholars.

At the furthest point into the mine, the pathway beneath us collapsed and we found ourselves in ancient tunnels according to both the Shaper and Assistant Chief Miner Ress. These ancient tunnels did not immediately lead to a way back to the party we'd left behind in the mines, but to a series of tunnels with elven carvings of plant life and animals on the walls. These led to two massive doors carved into the stone and a chamber beyond which felt massive and could not all be perceived by the eye in the darkness of that vastness. On every surface, there were ancient elven carvings showing scenes that at first felt wonderful to gaze upon but as we looked gained a sense of danger and wrongness about them.

I've included a reproduction of Messr. de Foncé's artistic renderings of the rooms and some of the images we found there.

In the center of this room hung a giant red lyrium crystal, but appearing for lack of a better word dead. It was the color of dried blood and opaque and did not put any of the weight of the usual exposure to red lyrium upon any members of our group. We found another, regular-sized door with dwarven carvings in the same fine style as the elven ones. There were cages carved out of stone and in several of these were darkspawn being held.

Before we could investigate further we were rebuffed by a group of dwarves wearing red lyrium-laced armor and holding a pair of red lyrium infected brontos with them. They spoke in a dialect that the Shaper has posited may be an ancient dwarven dialect. They were well-armed and chased us from those rooms all the way back to the carved tunnels. After some work we were able to find a pathway back to known mining areas and returned having found that roughly two days passed since we'd gone missing.

NEXT STEPS: The spread of red lyrium has gone farther and perhaps had deeper roots than just the current conflict with Corypheus' forces. It is unclear what those donning the red lyrium-laced armor were doing with the darkspawn in their captivity, but it is unlikely to be anything good. We should keep in touch with Shaper Ghoskan and Assistant Chief Miner Ress about any developments to the study of red lyrium or expeditions into the passageways that were discovered.

NOTES & LINKS: IC log | OOC info

Salut! I hope everyone is doing well. If anyone has time to talk, I have two questions.

The first is for our rifters. Some of you have mentioned different kinds of education—schools with plays for little children [ Erik ] and, euh, "high school" [ Beth ] and apprenticeships [ Wysteria ] and so on—and I'm curious now. What it was like and how it worked, vous savez. Just generally, if you don't want to talk about how it was for you.

And for everyone: any animals you have known with good names, I would love to know what they were called. I have a horse to name. I want to think of it myself, I think— [ or avoid having to politely turn down suggestions, really, and if anyone were to suggest Spot he might die inside, so best avoid the possibility ] —but for inspiration's sake.

Merci.

Is anybody dreaming of getting back topside? Know I am. Blimey, a sweaty fucking pit, is Orzammar.

We've a tennis court. That's jeu de paume for the rest of you. [Her Orlesian is surprisingly not terrible.] It ought to be finished by the time we're back. I know, I know, you don't like to train in the yard, it hurts your knees or your bloody feelings. That's what the court's for. Let's play a game and get your stamina up, aye?

Noticed we've had some new folk lately, and I wanna say again: I'm Jone, the six-foot-bitch in the training yard with the red hair. I'll train you, and I'll do it right. You ain't for swords, we'll find what you're for. Free fucking service, you only have to make an effort.

Think of it this way: if you work hard enough, get strong enough, one day you'll get to break me nose.

It seems I have arrived when most are in Orzammar.

[A pause, that could either be excellent comedic timing or genuine awkwardness-- his flat tone of voice leaves it up to your sense of humor.]

Good luck with that.

The last time I was in this city, it had exploded into conflict. I was here at the heart of what has become known as the 'Kirkwall Rebellion'; before then, I here ten years. They were long and without peace. When the Circle rebelled, it felt... inevitable.

Perhaps things are more peaceful now.

[Another one of those weird pauses.]

Or perhaps the all the blood mages and abominations are in Orzammar.

I am Fenris. Ask what questions you wish. I do not know how many of you were here when this city became... what it now is. And I will ask in turn: Do you believe the city better for it? Less full of slavers and conjured demons?

This city was once famed for another rebellion entirely. How strange this most recent one has eclipsed it. Or perhaps this city is cursed to ever seek turmoil within its walls.

[So, yeah, he seems cheerful.]

You know what's fun? Paperwork. I for one think we could use more of it, and I'm extremely so excited to announce that an officially maintained list of rifters will be kept by the Research division going forwards. We are, after all, Riftwatch, not Riftwhat?

Anyway.

Enchanter Doctor Isaac has kindly volunteered to keep an accurate record, and I encourage all rifters to check in and update any information that might not be accurate, like your species, whether you have magical ability, or if you're a scientist. I guess.

I'm also collecting data on where your rift spat you out, location-wise. We're working on an early warning detection system for rifter emergence events, and the map we have is incomplete. So help us make it not incomplete, like a bro would.

In the spirit of transparency, please don't use this record for any secret reasons. Bye.

Good evening, this is Herian Amsel. ( No reference to Knight-Enchanter. ) For those joined the last year or two, I had previously served as Ambassador, prior to the departure from the Inquisition and establishment as a separate body. I have been returned a few weeks hence, but injuries and a— tendency for brooding and the dramatic rendered me disinclined to making my return broadly known.

( Look, look she can do a self-roast now. How far she’s come. When can she expect a medal. )

I think there are times when it is easy to lose sight of the reasons that bind us to a cause. The path we are set upon could wind far from the destination we had embarked upon, and we might not realise it until we are too far advanced on that divergence.

If you would indulge me... what drew you here, and what keeps you hence? What do you see us being able to achieve here that other bodies would neglect or falter in? Those who know me well are likely much fatigued by my own contemplations on honour and duty, but I would am most eager to hear your understanding and thoughts of such matters, as well.

And— ah, it seems my companion has undertaken the task of pilfering as many socks as he can from across the Gallows. If you have found yourself lacking in essentials you know to have been in your possession, I may be able to assist in their location.

( corgis, man. )

[ The tone here is quite amused, even if the topic is not particularly...amusing. ]

So, now that we've all woken up, I'm sure there's just one question on everyone's mind. What are we going to do with all you naughty little boys and girls who are dreaming about joining the Venatori?